GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) -- Getting a vaccine is like being a member of a rewards program. That's what local health officials like Kim Mueller say about the impact of the CDC's updated guidelines.
"To me, I see it as great," Mueller, Fond du Lac County's health officer, said. "There's an incentive for individuals to get vaccinated, an incentive for individuals who are fully vaccinated."
The CDC says fully vaccinated people can attend small outdoor gatherings without a mask. Mueller says it could influence some Northeast Wisconsinites to get their shot.
"It's gonna take more people getting vaccinated to loosen and lessen those restrictions or lessen those recommendations from the CDC as well as the state," Mueller said.
The health agency also announced those with all their doses can dine outdoors at restaurants. Steven Paustenbach manages Tucson's Southwest Grill & Bar in Green Bay, and says that guideline doesn't mean much for his business.
"Eating outdoors in a well-ventilated patio pretty much was always safe, they just didn't want to say it," Paustenbach, a general manager, said.
Still, after a rough year for eateries, Paustenbach says the loosened recommendations only benefit local restaurants. But he says the CDC's announcement isn't a powerful incentive for people to get a vaccine.
"We're [restaurants] getting there," he said "But what the CDC fails to realize is those of us that want vaccines have gotten them."
But health officials say it's a step in the right direction.
"Sometimes, the 'you're protecting yourself, you're protecting the people around you' just isn't enough for individuals if they're going to also be told that 'even though you're fully vaccinated, you still need to mask up,'" Mueller said.
Regardless of CDC guidelines, at 50 percent capacity, Paustenbach says many of his customers have been willing to eat inside or outside without a mask.
"We've been telling people it's safe [to dine] for a long time," he said. "And we've seen the infection rate go down. Getting people comfortable to come back out, we've gotten there."
Fond du Lac County's health department has loosened its guidelines for restaurants, allowing full capacity.
Paustenbach says, though his clients are feeling comfortable, patrons can grab curbside pickup on the go.
