Allegheny County lifts mask requirements for its fully vaccinated employees

Fully vaccinated Allegheny County employees will no longer need to wear masks at most worksites.

County Manager William D. McKain on Thursday announced the changes to mask policies for employees, contractors and visitors to most county facilities.

The updated masking rules do not apply to the Allegheny County Jail, Shuman Juvenile Detention Center and Kane Community Living Centers.

The updated masking policy — which follows updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — says that fully vaccinated employees no longer need to wear masks or physically distance within county worksites. They will, however, still have to wear masks where required by other offices, establishments or non-Allegheny County buildings.

The same guidelines apply to fully vaccinated contractors and members of the public who visit Allegheny County worksites.

Unvaccinated individuals are still required to wear masks and abide by social distancing guidelines, in accordance with CDC recommendations.

Employees can be subject to possible disciplinary action for failure to follow a supervisor’s directives based on the county’s application of the updated CDC guidelines.

According to the CDC, an individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received the second dose in Pfizer or Moderna’s two-dose series or one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot vaccine. Anyone who does not meet that definition is considered unvaccinated and should continue wearing a mask and following social distancing guidelines.

Updated signage was being posted throughout Allegheny County worksites on Thursday. The policy will be in full effect beginning Friday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health on Thursday announced the commonwealth’s mask mandate will be lifted June 28. That will apply to all county facilities impacted by this policy as well.