Vaccinated Americans now may go without masks in most places, the C.D.C. said.


In a sharp turnabout, federal health officials on Thursday advised that Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus may stop wearing masks or maintaining social distance in most indoor and outdoor settings, regardless of size.

The advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes as welcome news to Americans who have tired of restrictions and marks a watershed moment in the pandemic. 

Masks ignited controversy in communities across the United States, symbolizing a bitter partisan divide over approaches to the pandemic and a badge of political affiliation.

Permission to stop using them now offers an incentive to the many millions who are still holding out on vaccination. As of Thursday, nearly 155 million people have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, but only about one-third of the nation, about 119 million people, have been fully vaccinated. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot or the second dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine series.

But the pace has slowed: Providers are administering about 2.09 million doses per day on average, about a 38 percent decrease from the peak of 3.38 million reported on April 13.

At the White House Thursday, President Biden hailed the new recommendations as a “milestone” in the nation’s effort to beat back the pandemic.

“Today is a great day for America,” Mr. Biden said during an address in the Rose Garden, where he and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared without masks on. “You’ve earned the right to do something that Americans are known for all around the world: greeting others with a smile.”  

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