BALTIMORE, MD (Wednesday, April 28, 2021) — Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Baltimore City Health Department released the following joint statement on updated Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, which relaxes mask wearing for people who are fully vaccinated under certain conditions: 

“The Mayor and Baltimore City Health Department are reviewing the most recent State mask order and want to ensure that Baltimore's local mask mandate is in alignment with CDC guidance. We would like to reiterate that the CDC's guidance for not wearing a mask when outdoors under certain conditions specifically refers to fully vaccinated individuals, or those interacting with fully vaccinated individuals. Baltimore City will make an announcement regarding new mask guidance in the days to come.

Currently only one out of four Baltimore residents are fully vaccinated. This means you can safely assume three out of four people you encounter in public are not yet fully vaccinated. While there is a lower risk of disease transmission outdoors, that is not the same as no-risk of disease transmission. Creating policy that distinguishes between people who are vaccinated and non-vaccinated will inform our review of the current mask mandate.

We continue to encourage Baltimore residents to exercise caution and remain vigilant by wearing masks in situations where physical distancing is not possible. We also encourage all Baltimore City residents aged 16 and up to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, by either signing up at covax.baltimorecity.gov or calling our Call Center at 443-984-8650 to register for an appointment.”