The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control has issued new guidance about wearing face masks outdoors for fully vaccinated people.
Under the new CDC guidance, people who received both Covid-19 mRNA injections can remove their face masks outdoors.
“It’s the return of freedom,” said Dr. Mike Saag, an infectious disease expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “It’s the return of us being able to do normal activities again.”
Dr Anthony Fauci admitted on Sunday that the risk of contracting coronavirus outside is “miniscule.”
During an interview on CBS, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said on Tuesday, “You’re vaccinated, guess what, you get to return to a normal lifestyle!”
He also had a message for those who prefer not to take the experimental mRNA vaccine. “You’re not vaccinated, you’re still a danger, you’re still in danger as well, so get vaccinated.”
In fully open states such as Georgia, Florida and Texas, 70% of residents have not received the vaccine, yet many walk around mask-free.
“When you get vaccinated, you can join [the two-thirds of vaccinated seniors] outdoors, and not have to wear masks,” Becerra said.
Senator Rand Paul, a licensed doctor, blames the White House and the CDC for the fact that many states are still under 30% vaccinated.
“[T]here is no science behind any of this. It’s fear-mongering. But it also has a deleterious effect, in that it’s discouraging people from getting the vaccine because they’re saying, well, if the vaccine doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t seem to have any protective benefit, you get no benefit.“
