Fully vaccinated people do not need masks outside
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that fully vaccinated Americans do not need to wear a mask when they are outdoors.
Anyone who has received all required jabs can ditch their face coverings if alone or in small groups of vaccinated people, the brand new guidelines say. But the CDC left in place its guidance to don a mask indoors and in crowded settings or venues. Over 95 million Americans have already been fully vaccinated thus far.
Following the CDC announcement on Tuesday, President Joe Biden celebrated the new guidance as "extraordinary progress". "Our scientists are convinced by the data that the odds of getting or giving the virus to others is very, suprisingly low," Mr Biden said. "The bottom line is clear: if you are vaccinated that can be done more." The president also urged Americans who've not yet received their shot to take action, calling it a "patriotic" act.
"Vaccines are about saving your daily life but also the lives of the people around you - but they're also about helping us get back nearer to more normal living." The guidelines are for the fully vaccinated - which means two weeks after someone's final vaccine jab. Evidence shows that, although Covid-19 infections can occur outdoors, the risks of transmission are extremely low. Early studies also indicate that fully vaccinated people are much less more likely to spread the virus. Dr Walensky said mask guidance for the fully vaccinated was intended largely "to protect the unvaccinated". "We do want persons who are unvaccinated to limit interactions with people, to go back to the essential principles of increased ventilation, spacing," she said.
Health officials have noted that the case count in the US is stabilizing as the rate of vaccinations is growing, and on Tuesday, they needed more people to join up for vaccinations. Nearly 141 million Americans - about 42% of the full total population - have obtained at least one vaccine dose by 26 April, according to the CDC.
