Story at a glance
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance on Thursday.
- People fully vaccinated against the coronavirus don’t need to wear masks or social distance, indoors or outdoors, in most situations.
- President Biden removed his mask during an indoor meeting following the announcement.
President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and a collection of senators removed their masks during a meeting to celebrate the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance stating those fully vaccinated against the coronavirus don’t need to wear masks or social distance, indoors or outdoors, in most situations.
Following the Thursday announcement, the White House worked indoors without masks for the first time since Biden entered office, and an email from the White House Correspondents Association stated reporters no longer needed to wear masks at the White House if they’re fully vaccinated.
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According to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, the new guidance, which comes over a year following the initiation of most mask mandates, is the product of a drop in COVID-19 cases, vaccine availability, and data reflecting the effectiveness of the vaccines.
“If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” Walensky said. “We have all longed for this moment where we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORONAVIRUS RIGHT NOW
RARE ‘BLACK FUNGUS’ INCREASINGLY FOUND IN COVID-19 PATIENTS IN INDIA
HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS BRAZILIAN COVID-19 VARIANT DISCOVERED IN FLORIDA
CDC PREDICTS A SURGE IN COVID-19 CASES THROUGH MAY THANKS TO VARIANTS
COVID-RECOVERED PEOPLE MAY ONLY NEED ONE DOSE OF PFIZER OR MODERNA VACCINES
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