Masks no longer required for fully vaccinated personnel at Defense Department facilities

Personnel fully vaccinated against the coronavirus are no longer required to wear masks indoors or outdoors at Defense Department facilities, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced late Thursday.

Face masks have been mandatory for everyone since April 5, 2020, on all Defense Department property, installations and facilities when social distancing was not possible, which was in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines at the time.

The decision to reverse that guidance for some was made following new guidelines issued Thursday afternoon by the CDC that said those who are fully vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or physically distance in any setting, according to the Hicks memo to the department.