With new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has freed any fully vaccinated Michigander from the requirement to wear a facemask when out in public.

Unvaccinated folks, however, still must wear a mask in public at least until July 1, when Whitmer said she expects to lift the facemask mandate for all Michiganders.

We’re gaining ground, but we haven’t defeated the virus, yet. Dozens of Northeast Michiganders have been infected in recent days, and more than 1,000 area residents remained actively infected and potentially contagious because they’d yet to recover. As of Monday, Alpena’s hospital was caring for eight coronavirus patients. Only about half of area residents have been fully vaccinated.

And, if you haven’t yet received a vaccine, the science still says a mask is one of the best ways you can protect yourself and others from infection.

But there’s no way for any of us to tell the vaccinated from the unvaccinated. Our physical appearance changes none after the shot, we don’t wear badges or special hats, and we don’t carry “vaccine passports.”

That means we can only trust our unvaccinated friends and neighbors to do the right thing and mask up. No one can know if an unvaccinated person stands maskless next to you at the grocery store or shows up at your party or meets with you in your office.

Readers, we’ve encouraged you to get that shot. That recommendation still stands.

But, if you choose not to get the shot or can’t for a medical reason, we now encourage you to continue to mask up.

Protect yourself.

Protect others.