CVS Pharmacy to drop mask requirements for fully vaccinated, where allowed

CVS HEALTH CORP. on June 1 will start offering customers who receive the COVID-19 vaccine a chance to win cruises, trips and other prizes. / AP FILE PHOTO/GENE J. PUSKAR
CVS HEALTH CORP. on June 1 will start offering customers who receive the COVID-19 vaccine a chance to win cruises, trips and other prizes. / AP FILE PHOTO/GENE J. PUSKAR

WOONSOCKET – CVS Health Corp. will not require vaccinated individuals to wear a mask inside CVS Pharmacy stores unless mandated by state or local governments, the company announced Monday.

CVS Health said that the update reflects new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued last week, that fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask both indoors and outdoors, regardless of crowd size. The federal health guidance does not apply to planes, public transit, health care settings, correctional facilities or homeless shelters.

The CDC also noted that their guidance applies everywhere, “except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.”

The CDC has also received pushback from some experts following its updated face-covering guidance.

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Rhode Island is relaxing its face-covering guidance for fully vaccinated individuals to align with the updated CDC guidelines starting Tuesday. Businesses that require masks for both employees and customers will still be allowed to do so in the Ocean State.

Masks will also still be required in Rhode Island for all individuals in health care settings, on public transportation and in facilities serving people experiencing homelessness. Teachers, school administrators and staff will also still be required to use face coverings.

Massachusetts also announced Monday that it will lift its indoor face-covering mandate for fully vaccinated individuals on May 29.

CVS Pharmacy customers that are not fully vaccinated will be asked to continue to wear face coverings, and CVS Pharmacy employees will also still be required to wear masks as well, the company said. CVS initially implemented a requirement that all customers wear masks on July 20, 2020, as COVID-19 cases spiked nationwide.

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