The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to announce Thursday that it will recommend people who are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus should be allowed to be mask-free in most indoor settings, according to the Associated Press.
The recommendation would still call for people in crowded areas such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters to continue to wear a mask, but not in settings such as offices or schools. An official announcement has not yet been made, but Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, is expected to announce the new guidance this afternoon at a White House briefing, according to the AP source.
The recommendation comes just two weeks after the CDC continued to suggest fully vaccinated people continue to mask up indoors in most situations.
However, as more Americans continue to receive the available vaccines, the number of cases are dropping across the U.S. Cases in the U.S. are at their lowest rate since September and deaths are at their lowest point since last April, according to the AP. Test positivity rates are also at the lowest point since the pandemic began last March.
It’s estimated that 154 million Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, which represents more than 46% of the population. It is believed that an estimated 117 million are fully vaccinated.
Earlier this week the Pfizer vaccine was approved for use on children aged 12-15 meaning even more of the total population will be able to vaccinated in the coming weeks.
President Joe Biden appears to be on board with loosening restrictions as well. The AP reports that during a virtual meeting between Biden and a bipartisan group of governors Thursday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called for more freedom for those who are already vaccinated.
“I would like to say that we have fully vaccinated people; we should start acting like it,” Cox, a Republican, told Biden. “And that’s a big motivation get the unvaccinated to want to get vaccinated.”
“Good point,” Biden responded. He added, “we’re going to be moving on that in the next little bit.”
Despite the CDC recommendation, states still determine localized mask mandates. In Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has repeatedly said she won’t lift the state’s mandate until two weeks after 70% of the population 16 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
While the vaccines are helping slow down the spread of the virus, it does not guarantee that the vaccinated are immune from catching or spreading the virus. However, those who are vaccinated experience milder, shorter battles with the virus and it appears to harder to spread to others once you’re vaccinated.
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