'Great Day': US President Hails Lifting Of Indoor Mask Rule As 'big Milestone' Amid COVID
United States President Joe Biden in a televised speech said that the lifting of the rule on mask-wearing for fully vaccinated people was "a great day" for America. While referring to the new guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Biden said that fully vaccinated people are at very, very low risk of contracting COVID-19. After the announcement by CDC, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared before the reporters without wearing masks.
I think it's a great milestone. A great day. It's been made possible by the extraordinary success we've had in vaccinating so many Americans so quickly," Biden said.
Biden says it's a 'major victory'
Biden in his address declared it as a major victory in the more than year-long battle against the pandemic. He further said that if you have been fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. But if you have not been vaccinated, or if you have not taken the second shot of the vaccine, you need to wear the mask.
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He said that 250 million vaccine shots have been given in 114 days. He appreciated the hard work of the scientists, researchers, drug companies, the National Guard, the US military, doctors, nurses, pharmacists who worked for immunizing Americans. He also urged the people who have not taken the jab to get themselves vaccinated.
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"Please protect yourself until we get to the finish line. Because as great as this announcement is, we don't want to let up. We all know how tough this virus us. The safest thing for the country, is for everyone to get vaccinated," he said.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 13 issued new guidelines on outdoor mask mandate stressing that fully vaccinated people were no longer needed to wear masks outdoors and could avoid wearing them indoors in most places. It also recommended that fully vaccinated people could also skip social distancing at public places. The new rules will allow Americans to engage in close encounters for the first time in months. As per CDC, the relaxation would not only encourage people to get their shots but also mark towards returning normalcy in the country.
(Image Credits: AP)
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