Thursday, April 29, 2021
Aaron McKnight Story of a Balanced barista By Bryanna Nickel Staff Reporter Aaron McKnight, a business management sophomore, is one of the newest employees at Balanced Coffee Co. and is enjoying every moment of his new job. “It has never felt like work yet,” McKnight said. “I honestly forget that I’m getting paid just because the owners, Mike and Lexi, just treat me so well.” McKnight said that he never feels overwhelmed, but he always feels relaxed on the job because he gets to do things that he loves: working with coffee, talking to customers and getting to know people. “I love Balanced because, for me, I just think See Aaron on pg. 4
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CDC: Wearing masks outside not necessary for vaccinated people By Tribune news service WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Tuesday there’s no need for people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear face masks while outdoors unless they are in crowded, large-group settings. Fully vaccinated individuals do not need to wear a mask when exercising outdoors or attending small and medium-sized outdoor gatherings, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky pointedly did not define how many people constitute a small or medium-sized gathering, because that can depend on the space, how much distance separates people and local COVID-19 caseloads. She told reporters it is also safe for fully vaccinated people to dine at an outdoor restaurant with vaccinated friends from multiple households while not wearing masks.
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Walensky said most virus transmission currently happens indoors, with less than 10 percent of virus transmission traced to exposures outdoors.
Unvaccinated people should still wear a mask when attending a small outdoor gathering with other unvaccinated people to reduce the risk of severe
disease, Walensky said. But an unvaccinated person can feel safe walking, running or biking outdoors without a mask on. The CDC also says it’s now safer for vaccinated individuals to attend certain indoor events with a mask on due to increased vaccination rates and decreased community spread. A fully vaccinated person wearing a mask can feel safe attending a worship service and singing in the choir, visiting a hair salon, shopping indoors, visiting a museum, riding public transportation, participating in an indoor exercise class or going to a movie theater. A person is fully vaccinated two weeks after a second dose of receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines that were authorized in the United States, or two weeks after getting the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. President Joe Biden touted the guidance as a See CDC on pg. 2