CDC Announces New COVID-19 Guidance For Gatherings, Travel Ahead Of Easter Sunday

(CBS4) -- Easter egg hunts and family gatherings are Easter Sunday traditions for many people. This year, some families will finally be able to get together for the holiday after the CDC issued new guidance for group gatherings.

Easter Sunday will be the first major holiday Coloradans can celebrate together as vaccinations opened up to everyone 16 and older on Friday.

"We can see the finish line, but we're still two miles away," said UCHealth Director of Infection Prevention, Dr. Michelle Barron. "When we talk about people being vaccinated, I think you need to understand where they are in the vaccine series."

Barron says people aren't fully vaccinated until 14 dayS following a second Pfizer or Moderna dose, or after one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. This week, the CDC announced fully vaccinated people can gather indoors without masks.

"You still want to think about, 'Who am I around?' and 'Yeah, all the adults are vaccinated, but are the kids vaccinated?' We know they're not," Dr. Barron said. "Around a holiday like this, over the weekend where there's a lot of families that are probably going to be gathering with children, it's something to remember."

Fully vaccinated Americans are also allowed to travel within the U.S. ahead of the holiday under new CDC guidelines. Doctor Barron says gatherings and travel should be approached with caution.

"None of us have a stamp on our head that says that we've been vaccinated, so you'll have to assume that everybody may or may not be," said Dr. Barron. "It's like another layer of protection. It's like having a seatbelt and airbags, they're both going to protect you potentially, but not necessarily keep you from having an injury if you're in an accident."

If you haven't been vaccinated, the CDC says the safest way to celebrate this Easter Sunday is to gather outdoors, wear a mask, and maintain six feet of social distancing.