By Tim Mastro

DOVER — Fully vaccinated individuals can stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings, per new guidance announced Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For now, Delaware’s current emergency order still requires masks indoors, regardless if a person is vaccinated. Jon Starkey, Gov. John Carney’s Deputy Chief of Staff for communications, said Thursday Gov. Carney’s office is in the process of reviewing the CDC guidance.

“We will communicate updates to Delaware’s requirements once we have reviewed the implications of CDC’s guidance,” Mr. Starkey said. “The science is clear that these vaccines are extremely safe and effective — and Delawareans who are fully vaccinated have significant protection from COVID-19 infection and serious illness. We would encourage all Delawareans to get vaccinated — de.gov/getmyvaccine.”

A person is considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after their final dose of a vaccine series. If people who are vaccinated do develop COVID-19 symptoms, they should immediately put their mask back on and get tested, according to the CDC.

The CDC guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, announced the new guidance on Thursday afternoon at a White House briefing, saying the long-awaited change is thanks to millions of people getting vaccinated — and based on the latest science about how well those shots are working.

“We have all longed for this moment — when we can get back to some sense of normalcy,” said Dr. Walensky.

“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities — large or small — without wearing a mask or physically distancing,” Walensky added. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”

There are some caveats to the CDC’s guidance. Dr. Walensky encouraged people who have weak immune systems, such as from organ transplants or cancer treatment, to talk with their doctors before shedding their masks. That’s because of continued uncertainty about whether the vaccines can rev up a weakened immune system as well as they do normal, healthy ones.

The new guidance is likely to open the door to confusion, since there is no surefire way for businesses or others to distinguish between those who are fully vaccinated and those who are not. Walensky said those who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks indoors.

After an aggressive vaccination campaign, U.S. COVID-19 cases are at their lowest rate since September, deaths are at their lowest point since last April and the test positivity rate is at the lowest point since the pandemic began.

Delaware’s COVID-19 statistics have followed a similar trend.

The Delaware Division of Public Health reported 83 individuals hospitalized with the virus in Thursday’s update, which reflects data as of Wednesday at 6 p.m. That ties the lowest amount of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state for the year 2021.

The state is averaging 146.1 new cases per day over the last seven days — the 24th day in a row that number has dropped. It was as high as 373.4 new cases per day on April 18 following a small surge in the spring and peaked during the winter at 849.9 new cases per day on Dec. 16.

Delaware’s seven-day rolling average for percentage of positive tests, as of May 10, dipped under 4% at 3.9% for the second time in four days. For reference, the World Health Organization recommends a seven-day average of below 5%.

Of Delawareans 16 years old and older, 55.8% have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.

Delaware has administered 825,963 doses of vaccine and 380,296 total persons have been fully vaccinated in the state, which includes 342,381 Delawareans. Non-residents can be vaccinated in Delaware provided they either work in the state or receive their healthcare here. An additional 101,419 individuals, 91,441 of which are Delawareans, are partially vaccinated after having received their first dose of a two-dose vaccine series and are awaiting their second dose.

To date about 154 million Americans, more than 46% of the population, have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and more than 117 million are fully vaccinated. The rate of new vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks, but with the authorization Wednesday of the Pfizer shot for children ages 12 to 15, a new burst of doses is expected in the coming days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.