Americans vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer need to wear masks when they are outdoors, except when they are in crowds, health authorities announced on Tuesday.
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"
If you are fully vaccinated and want to participate in a small gathering with people who are vaccinated and not vaccinated (..) scientific data shows (...) that you can do it safely, without a mask,
" said Rochelle Walensky the director of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the main federal public health agency. "
On the other hand, we continue to recommend wearing a mask in busy outdoor places, such as full stadiums or concerts,
" she added during a press briefing.
She justified this by the fact that in these situations, many unvaccinated people, and potentially at risk of developing a severe form of Covid-19, may be present. "
Today is another day when we can take a step to return to the normal state of things
", before the coronavirus, she welcomed.
In addition, the CDC now estimates that unvaccinated people can also walk, run or cycle with members of their household, or participate in “
small gatherings
” outdoors with vaccinated people, without wearing a mask. However, they should always cover their face if unvaccinated people are present. A person is considered vaccinated two weeks after the injection of the vaccine (the second dose for those given in two injections), recalled Rochelle Walensky.
Health authorities have updated their recommendations based on these announcements.
In the United States, rules vary from state to state, and some had strict rules in place requiring masks to be worn anywhere outside of their homes, even without anyone around.
These states should now change these obligations, even if they are not absolutely required to do so.
Read also: Covid-19: the United States will provide other countries with 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine
According to CDC data, 42.5% of the U.S. population, or more than 140 million people, have received at least one dose of one of three vaccines licensed in the country (Pfizer / BioNtech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson ).
