Fully vaccinated people can stop wearing masks indoors, says US CDC
- The agency also says fully immunised Americans will not need to physically distance in most places, hoping the new guidance will prod more people to get jabs
- Masks had become a political issue in the US, with Trump resisting their use while Biden embraced face coverings to prevent the spread of Covid-19
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday advised that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors and can avoid wearing them indoors in most places, updated guidance the agency said will allow life to begin to return to normal.
The CDC, which hopes the guidance will prod more Americans to get vaccinated, also said fully immunised people will not need to physically distance in most places.
The turnaround came just 16 days since CDC issued revised guidance that left many restrictions in place for vaccinated people. The agency came under fire in March for initially discouraging immunised grandparents to fly to visit loved ones.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the new guidance was based on a sharp reduction in cases, expansion of vaccines to younger people and vaccine efficacy against coronavirus variants. “We followed the science here,” she said.