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On May 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that fully vaccinated individuals can resume activities without wearing a mask or practicing social distancing.
The CDC advised that vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting sick and that people who have been fully vaccinated can do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic. Individuals will still have to follow health regulations as required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo took to Twitter to express her excitement.
"Wonderful news from the CDC," Hidalgo wrote in a May 13 Twitter post. "This decision speaks to the effectiveness of vaccines and reminds us that vaccines are a gift that can get us past this crisis. Help us get this done. Spread the word to your friends and family."
President Joe Biden held an address to promote the CDC announcement. Hours before his address, Biden met with a group of vaccinated Republican legislators in the Oval Office and led them in removing their masks when the announcement was presented, AP News reported.
“Today is a great day for America,” Biden said during his address, according to AP News. “If you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. Get vaccinated — or wear a mask until you do.”
Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, gave credit to the millions of Americans that trusted the latest science about how well the shots are working and chose to receive the vaccine. The CDC and the Biden administration have eased restrictions for fully vaccinated people partly to increase the benefits of receiving the shot.
“We have all longed for this moment — when we can get back to some sense of normalcy,” Walensky said. “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities — large or small — without wearing a mask or physically distancing. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”
Critics point out that the new guidance is likely to lead to confusion, since there is no way to make certain which individuals have been fully vaccinated versus those who have not.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced that 20 million doses have been administered in the Lone Star State.
Rates of U.S. COVID-19 cases are at their lowest since September, numbers of deaths are at the lowest point since last April and the test positivity rate is at the lowest point since the onset of the pandemic.