ORLANDO - I am fully vaccinated with the two-shot Pfizer vaccine. However, because of serious recurring health issues (heart-lungs), I will continue to wear a mask indoors in close-contact situations or at least have a mask with me.
My wife, Sera, feels the same way out of an abundance of caution for me.
My fear remains contracting the virus from those who are NOT vaccinated because of the seriousness of the recurring health issues I have had to deal with in recent years. I prefer to be safe than sorry. This despite the newest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control unveiled this afternoon that those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask or practice social distancing when outdoors or even indoors regardless of crowd size.
My fear remains contracting the virus from those who are NOT vaccinated because of the seriousness of the recurring health issues I have had to deal with in recent years. I prefer to be safe than sorry. This despite the newest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control unveiled this afternoon that those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a mask or practice social distancing when outdoors or even indoors regardless of crowd size.
People with chronic medical conditions (like heart disease and cancer) are at risk for developing a severe case of COVID-19. And since this population wasn’t involved in clinical trials, the CDC can’t assume that they’ll have the same effectiveness rate, even when fully vaccinated.
There are exceptions to the new COVID guidelines, the CDC noted. Masks and social distancing will still be required at medical facilities. The same with using public mass transit or air travel.
And the new CDC guidelines do not apply to private companies who choose to keep restrictions in place such as grovery stores, the workplace, etc.
Of course, so long as those who have yet to get vaccinated out of fear or refuse to do so no matter what, with only a third of all adults in America fully vaccinated, the COVID scourge is not going to go away.
Florida led the nations in new COVID cases yesterday, which is not surprising since tourism is the big draw, especially in greater Orlando (where we live), with Disney and the Attractions and the secondary tourism hub of tourism in greater Daytona Beach with the ocean.
These are the COVID-19 stats for today on new infections in the Top 5 states:
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and V for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories. Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.