Local residents share mixed feelings about CDC's new mask guidance

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Even though the CDC announced Thursday that fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks, many people in the Philadelphia region say they aren't ready to take that step yet.

Juan Solano of Paoli says he received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, but he thinks the CDC guidelines are wrong.

"Being fully vaccinated is that you are not contagious is a big mistake," said Solano. "You're still contagious being vaccinated. Meanwhile, the people not completely vaccinated, we are not safe as we would like."

Pennsylvania officials announced they were aligning with CDC guidelines, dropping the mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals. Officials in Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties say they will follow the commonwealth's lead.

"Today is my first day not wearing a mask, and I feel amazing, and I hope we will never have to go back to wearing a mask again ever," said Sean Morgan of West Philadelphia.

And now it's up to stores to decide their own policy.

Costco in King of Prussia, Montgomery County, said mask-wearing is optional if someone is fully vaccinated, but Saturday shoppers said no one inside was without a mask.

"I'll probably be wearing a mask just because I don't know how many people are actually vaccinated that aren't wearing a mask," said Dora Scott of West Philadelphia.

The City of Philadelphia has not announced if they will be removing its mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals.