Confusion About Where And When To Be Masked-Up Grows With New CDC Guidelines

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA) - On Friday, Trader Joe's, Costco and Walmart announced that fully vaccinated customers can shop in their stores without wearing a mask, but there is also growing confusion about when and wear people are still required to wear them.

The stores announcement came after the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention released new mask guidelines saying fully vaccinated individuals do not need to weak masks in most settings, unless that goes against state, federal or local laws.

"We don't know what the rules or laws are because they are different everywhere," Attorney Alexandra Kazarian told CBSLA's Hermela Aregawi. "Private businesses can deal with however they like. The CDC's guidelines are recommendations. They are not law. Those are national guidelines, but every state, every city, every county has different that they follow."

In one Los Angeles Trader Joe's Saturday, not one customer was wearing a mask, but feelings were mixed about the company's new rules because not everyone trusts people to be honest about their vaccination status.

"For me personally, I'm vaccinated," Alejandro Morales, a shopper, said. "I would feel okay with it, but I would not bring my kids into the store for example."

Jodi Lampert, another Trader Joe's customer, expressed some concerns as well.

"I feel personally everyone should what they want, but I'm so uncomfortable with people not [wearing masks]," she said.

There are also legal concerns about asking people for proof of vaccination. Kazarian notes that HIPPA laws are in place to protect people from being forced to give up their health information. She also said if there are exceptions made for vaccinated people, it does seem as if people are being forced to give up health information in a way some people might not be comfortable with.

 

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.