HARTFORD, Conn. — Announced in a tweet, the Hartford Yard Goats said all mask requirements will be lifted at Dunkin Donuts Stadium beginning on May 19th.
They still encourage unvaccinated people to wear masks.
Also on May 19th, the stadium will be at 100% capacity.
The decision to lift the mask requirements comes after the CDC just last week announced those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks indoors.
Under the new guidelines released last week, fully vaccinated people — those who are two weeks past their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine — can quit wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings and give up social distancing.
However, partially vaccinated or unvaccinated people should continue wearing masks, the agency said. The guidance also still calls for masks in crowded indoor settings including buses, airplanes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.
Following the CDC's new COVID-19 guidelines for wearing masks indoors, Gov. Ned Lamont announced last Thursday that starting on May 19th, fully vaccinated residents will not be required to wear masks indoors in Connecticut.
“When it comes to your store or restaurant you can say masks are required or not. You have a lot of discretion there,” said Governor Lamont. The governor added that unvaccinated people will still be required to wear a mask indoors.
Last week, Connecticut reported it administered 29,973 tests and 471 came back positive, yielding a positivity rate of about 1.57%. Connecticut also reported 1,618,266 residents have been fully vaccinated.
The sudden change sparked praise from those eager to return to pre-pandemic life, particularly those who see the new guidelines as a way to reopen workplaces, schools and other venues that went dark during the pandemic.
Yet concerns have been raised from those who say there's no easy way for businesses and others to determine who is fully vaccinated and who is not. Instead, many will have to rely on an honor system as many states and communities have already been lifting mask mandates amid improving virus numbers and as more Americans have been shedding face coverings after getting shots.
Target also announced Monday morning that fully vaccinated customers and employees will no longer need to wear a face mask in its stores.
In an update on its website, Target said it will still follow state and local rules on masks. So if a store is located in a jurisdiction that requires masks indoors, it will apply to that Target location too.
Target did not indicate that it plans to ask for any proof of vaccination. The company now joins Trader Joe's, Walmart, Costco and Starbucks in dropping mask mandates for fully vaccinated customers in response to the new CDC guidance.
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