According to updated CDC guidelines fully-vaccinated Americans can now participate in activities that have been denied them due to a year-long mask mandate, lockdown, and social distancing measures designed to cut down on the spread of the virus. Millions of people can now jog, walk, bike, and dine with friends in outdoor restaurants without wearing masks.
According to the CDC’s virus tracker, as of today, 570, 420 Americans have died from COVID-19. Also, according to CDC statistical data – last updated April 28 – at least 142, 692, 987 of the adult population have received one dose of the vaccine, while well over 98, OOO, OOO have been fully immunized.
Tuesday, the president spoke to reporters on the White House lawn about the CDC’s new recommendations.
“Because of the extraordinary progress we’ve made in fighting this virus, and the progress our scientists have made in learning how it’s transmitted, earlier today, the CDC made an important announcement. Starting today, if you’re fully-vaccinated and you’re outdoors, and not in a big crowd, you no longer need to wear a mask…
“Yes, the vaccines are about saving your life, but also the lives of people around you. But they’re also about helping us get back to normal in our living, more normal living, getting together with friends, going to the park for a picnic without needing to mask up. We’re back to that place now, as long as you get vaccinated, so get the shot…”
“Today, I hope is a day when we can make another step back to normalcy,” said the CDC’s director, Rochelle Walensky, during a White House briefing. “Over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time telling Americans what they cannot do, what they should not do. Today I’m going to tell you some of the things you can do if you are fully-vaccinated.”
“The examples today,” she said, “show that when you are fully-vaccinated, you can return to many activities safely and get back to normal. And the more people who are vaccinated, the more steps we can take toward spending time with people we love, doing things we enjoy. I hope this message is encouraging for you. It just shows how powerful these vaccines are.”
“The bottom line is clear,” Biden said. “If you’re fully-vaccinated you can do more things more safely both outdoors as well as indoors. For those who haven’t gotten their vaccination yet, especially if you’re younger or thinking you don’t need it, this is another great reason to go and get vaccinated now.”
July 04 is the deadline that the Biden administration has set as its goal when Americans can look forward to a sense of normalcy. Whether it can or will be done, remains to be seen.
Sources: USA Today, Washington Post, Star Tribune.
The Weekly News 