• This is a welcome relief and what all of us have been waiting for since last March!!

• Please enjoy these new freedoms, which are a direct result of the very successful development of SAFE and EFFECTIVE coronavirus vaccines and the MASS VACCINATION efforts across the US

• The rationale for this CDC update includes:

• A growing body of evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection and potentially less likely to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others

• Breakthrough COVID infection rate for those fully vaccinated is 0.01% and rarely causes more than a common cold

• If you have yet to be vaccinated, we hope this provides additional motivation!

• But, please remember that as a healthcare company our practices must always ensure safety for all patients and teammates

• The lifting of restrictions on masking and social distancing DO NOT YET APPLY TO OUR CLINICS or other healthcare settings, as emphasized by the CDC
• The rationale is that some patients and staff have health conditions or take medications that reduce their immune systems (immunocompromised) or make them ineligible for the vaccine, so they are not as fully protected as everyone else

• Our mission as healthcare providers is to protect our vulnerable patients and teammates, as we have always prioritized the safest and highest quality care

• WE GREATLY APPRECIATE everyone’s willingness to continue our prior safety protocols when involved in patient care

• But, for fully vaccinated teammates in a non-clinical setting like a breakroom, please feel free to enjoy each other’s company when eating or socializing without your masks or physical distancing

• We will continue to closely monitor CDC guidelines and update our QDP policies and protocols as needed. We look forward to relaxing these restrictions throughout our clinics in the future, but we are not quite there yet.

• Regarding questions or objections from our patients who don’t feel the need to wear masks anymore, we are developing communications for all our patient-facing teammates and our websites, reminder calls and texts as well as signage for our offices. These messages will reinforce that we are following CDC guidance to protect our vulnerable patients and staff and will require masks in our clinics until further notice.