New guidelines on masks stir debate in US, sow confusion

Leading unions are opposed to updated guidelines that allow vaccinated Americans to shed their masks in public.

New federal guidelines stating that fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks – even indoors – continued to evoke debate on Monday as leading workers’ unions and retailers hesitated amid doubt that the new approach is safe or workable. More than a dozen states quickly embraced the new rules, announced on Thursday, which still call for masks to be worn in crowded indoor settings including buses, aeroplanes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters. But some Americans said the move may be premature.