Fully vaccinated Central Coast residents may now able to be maskless outside with some modifications

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Local health officials say that people who have been fully vaccinated are now able to be outdoors in uncrowded areas without a mask.

The CDC is still recommending people use masks in large outdoor events like concerts or indoor gatherings where unvaccinated people are present.

The new recommendations say fully vaccinated individuals can engage in the following activities without wearing masks:

• Walking, running, hiking or biking outdoors alone or with members of their household
• Attending small outdoor gatherings with fully vaccinated family and friends
• Attending small outdoor gatherings with a mixture of fully vaccinated and unvaccinated people
• Dining at outdoor restaurants with friends from multiple households.

Fully vaccinated people can also attend "a crowded, outdoor event, like a live performance, parade, or sports event," as long as they remain masked, according to a CDC infographic of the new guidelines. 

One local health official praises the vaccine for this huge step forward.

"Not only do you protect yourself, your family and your friends from getting sick or even dying, this just shows that vaccination can make just about any activity much, much safer," says Santa Cruz health official, Dr. David Ghilarducci.

 Ric Encarnacion, the acting bureau chief for the Monterey County Environmental Health Bureau anticipates that there may be changes underway for restaurants and businesses under the new guidance.

"We waiting for the state to make the updates. It's best for restaurants to continue to follow the current guidances as they're written," says Encarnacion.

Despite the good news, Dr. Ghilarducci says it's a race against the clock to get people vaccinated with the new variants that are circulating.

"Those could potentially make the vaccines less effective. It's vaccines versus variants," says Ghilarducci.

The CDC states that one is considered to be fully vaccinated after two weeks of receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the first and only dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.