By Amy McCullough
The Defense Department will no longer require fully vaccinated personnel to wear masks at DOD facilities. The guidance applies to all those who are two weeks beyond their final dose, both indoors and outdoors, according to a May 13 memo from Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks. The memo was released the same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its own guidance saying fully vaccinated people can resume pre-pandemic activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, “except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.” Commanders and supervisors can still make exceptions to “ensure a safe workforce.”