Updated Colorado mask guidance expected following CDC’s new relaxed rules

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new mask guidance for Americans on Thursday, saying people who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks indoors.

It’s an apparent move to increase vaccination rates. President Joe Biden tweeted shortly after, “The rule is now simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do. The choice is yours.”

It follows declining COVID-19 vaccination rates nationwide, including in Southern Colorado. While the State did not immediately change its mask guidance to mirror the CDC's, health leaders expect it in the coming days.

"Yes we will be updating our mask order to follow CDC guidance shortly," said a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment spokesperson.

Meantime, El Paso County Public Health says Coloradans should continue to follow Gov. Jared Polis’s amended statewide mask mandate.