At least eight states began to lift mask mandates following the CDC’s updated guidance that fully vaccinated Americans could discard masks outdoors and in some situations indoors.
The new guidelines announced by Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, represent a major step toward a return to normalcy for a nation battered and at times divided by a pandemic that has lasted more than a year.
“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,” Walensky said. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”
Soon after, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington began to adjust their mask-wearing guidance.
“When you get vaccinated, the CDC says it is safe to take that mask off, so go on out, get that shot,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said. “Let’s defeat this pandemic once and for all.”
Walt Disney Co. officials spoke about looking at changes to mask requirements during the company’s quarterly earnings, and officials at Macy’s, Target, and the Gap said they were reviewing the new guidance.
The White House and Congressional offices on Thursday lifted its mandate for staff and visitors to wear masks after updated CDC guidance.
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