Weekly Update: April 26, 2022
Planes, Trains, And Buses – What’s the Latest on Masks?
Effective April 18, 2022, wearing a mask is no longer required by federal law on all public transportation, including planes, buses, and trains, traveling domestically in the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations. The CDC continues to recommend that people wear a mask in indoor public transportation settings to prevent the spread of new, highly contagious COVID-19 variants.
Please be aware that:
- Masks may still be required by local law.
- People utilizing public transportation should check for any local travel requirements.
- Local transportation hubs and transit agencies may still require masks.
- Although masks are no longer federally mandated, people using public transportation can continue to wear well-fitting masks or respirators if it makes them feel safer.
- Masks may still be required when traveling to and from certain international locations based on country requirements.
- Businesses may still choose to require masks.
Staying Up to Date with Vaccines
Being up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines ensures you have the best protection possible against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
To be up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines, you will need to be fully vaccinated and get a booster dose when eligible.
- The primary series includes two doses of Moderna or Pfizer or one dose of Johnson & Johnson.
- People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should get an additional primary dose for the best protection.
- Everyone 12 years and older should get a booster dose to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines and boost protection against COVID-19.
If you are moderately or severely immunocompromised, you will need to get an additional dose for better protection. Visit CDC's website, call 211, or talk to your health care provider to learn more.
Data Update: Illness after Vaccination Rates
As the number of fully vaccinated individuals increase, and disease transmissibility remains high due to the Omicron variants, we can expect to see an increase in the number of fully vaccinated individuals who test positive for COVID-19. Even as cases are on the rise, vaccines and booster doses remain highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19.
It is critical to get vaccinated as soon as possible, and to stay up to date by getting a booster dose after 5 months (or 2 months if you received a J&J vaccine). Anyone over the age of 50 or immune comprised people ages 12 and over are also eligible for a second booster.
DHS has also updated the COVID-19 Illness After Vaccination data page to include data for January and February 2022. The updating of this data was delayed while DHS made improvements to the way data was gathered and stored in order to address technical difficulties. DHS plans to continue updating this data by the 20th of each month.
The COVID-19 vaccines remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19. Vaccination locations can be found at vaccines.gov (https://vacunas.gov/) or by dialing 211.
Send a Thank You Note to Your COVID-19 Heroes!
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) continues to promote the hard work and dedication of our state’s public health heroes on the "Thank You Tour: Moving Forward Together.” As part of the Thank You Tour, DHS is calling on Wisconsinites to participate online by recognizing individuals, groups, or organizations who have been involved in the COVID-19 response. So far, 199 notes of appreciation have been submitted, which DHS will be sharing on its website and social media.
|