The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines for people’s outdoor activities, saying people who are fully vaccinated can participate in outdoor functions without masks as long as the event isn’t overly crowded, the Washington Post reports.

In loosening the recommendations, the CDC noted that fully-vaccinated people should still wear masks or completely avoid crowded outdoor events because of the continued risk of infection due to developing virus variants or the possibility that they were part of the small percentage of people for whom the vaccination was not effective.  People should wear masks at events likes sporting events, concerts or parades where large numbers of people gather.

People who have not yet been vaccinated can engage in outdoor activities without masks with members of their households, but should maintain safe distancing from people.  Such activities include walking, running or biking. 

While officials do not know for certain how long antibodies from vaccines last, evidence indicates that people who are fully vaccinated are far less likely to be infectious or have an asymptomatic case of the coronavirus.

“Taking steps toward relaxing certain measures for vaccinated people may help improve coronavirus vaccine acceptance and uptake,” the guidance states. “Therefore, there are several activities that fully vaccinated people can resume now, at low risk to themselves, while being mindful of the potential risk of transmitting the disease to others.”