Fully vaccinated Americans do not need face masks, social distancing: CDC

The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday ruled that US residents who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be permitted to stay in public without face masks and social distancing, in most situations.

The announcement, which was anticipated by many US health experts, has opened up a possibility of the country’s gradual turn towards pre-COVID times as most restrictions are expected to be eased.

The face mask requirement will remain intact for places like hospitals and medical centres, airplanes and some office settings, Washington Post reported.

The CDC wrote on Twitter that the previously instated rules would continue to persist in areas “required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, incl. local business and workplace guidance.”

CDC director and prominent US health expert Dr Rochelle Walensky said in a statement, “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy” reported CNN quoting a White House press breifing.