Fast Facts for May 13, 2021
Yes – it is time –if you’re fully vaccinated against Covid19 – the CDC says you no longer have to wear a mask indoors or outdoors and you no longer have to social distance.
You’re considered fully vaccinated two weeks after your final vaccine dose. The CDC says fully vaccinated people can resume all activities you did prior to the pandemic.
But – let’s read the fine print—
You are still required to wear a mask on a plane, bus, train, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the united states, and in US transportation hubs such as airports and stations. You may also be required to wear a mask at certain businesses, hospitals, workplaces, or if mandated by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws.
How could this be? Where did this come from? I thought the c-d-c said something different a few weeks ago.
They did –but the CDC director says several things have changed. Within the last two weeks, Covid19 cases in the US have dropped by more than a third, almost 60% (58.7%) of adults have received at least one vaccine dose (45.1% fully vaccinated), vaccine supply is readily available for all eligible age groups, 12-15 year olds are now authorized to be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and new studies were published suggesting the effectiveness of the vaccine, the effectiveness against the variants, and the effectiveness in preventing transmission.
On the flip side – if you are fully vaccinated and still want to wear a mask, you can definitely still do that if it makes you feel more comfortable. Those with compromised immune systems who have been vaccinated, should talk to their doctors before removing their masks. Remember though the Covid19 vaccine is extremely effective at preventing serious illness, you can still contract Covid19 even if you’re vaccinated.
Official CDC Guidance here.
PLUS
Nearly one million Americans received their EIP3 stimulus payment yesterday.
Again, this is not a new stimulus check. This is the stimulus that came from the American rescue plan from march.
The IRS paid out the ninth batch of stimulus payments with a pay date of March 12 bringing the total number of stimulus payments to 165 million since the law was passed.
The ninth batch includes direct deposits and paper checks. That includes:
- More than 500,000 payments sent to eligible individuals for whom the IRS didn’t have information but recently collected it through a newly filed tax return
- 460,000 “plus up” payments were also distributed. If you don’t understand “plus up” payments go to the categories on my page, under “tax stuff” scroll down, and you’ll see if there.
I sat down with the IRS spokesperson to get your questions answers ahead of Monday’s tax deadline. We talked about EIP3 stimulus payments, that $10,200 of tax free unemployment benefits and delayed tax returns. I put the link in my bio.
If you still have not received your EIP3 stimulus payment and you know you qualify don’t panic, the IRS will continue to send them every week as 2020 tax returns are processed.
