US President Joe Biden: guidelines to lift the mask requirement are "milestone"

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US President Joe Biden has celebrated the new guidelines of the CDC health authority to largely abolish the mask requirement for vaccinated people as a "milestone" in the fight against the pandemic. "Today is a big day for America in our long battle against the coronavirus," Biden said on Thursday at the White House. "When you are fully vaccinated, you no longer have to wear a mask." Biden warned that this does not apply to people who do not yet have full vaccination protection. The CDC had previously published guidelines according to which fully vaccinated people usually no longer have to wear a mask not only outdoors but also in closed rooms.

Biden said case numbers had dropped in 49 of the 50 states. The death toll related to Covid-19 is at its lowest level since April last year. On Thursday the mark of 250 million administered vaccine doses was reached since he took office on January 20. According to the CDC, more than 117 million of the approximately 330 million people in the USA have now been fully vaccinated. For adults, the rate is a good 45 percent.

Biden appealed to the remaining Americans to get vaccinated.

"We are not finished yet.

We're still losing too many Americans because we still have too many unvaccinated people. ”Biden's goal is to have 70 percent of adults fully vaccinated by July 4th Independence Day.

He added that in order to achieve long-term security, the pandemic must be tackled not just in the US but around the world.

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The US President called for understanding for those people who did not want to take off the masks despite being vaccinated.

“Please treat them with kindness and respect.

We've had too many conflicts, too much bitterness, too much anger, too much polarization on this issue of wearing masks.

Let's put that aside.

Let's remember: we are all Americans. "

Vaccinated people are allowed to do that

The US health agency CDC has revised its recommendations for fully vaccinated people.

In the future, in most cases, the recommendation to wear a mask indoors will no longer apply, as several US media unanimously report.

According to this, there should continue to be a call to wear mouth and nose protection for larger gatherings such as on buses, airplanes or in hospitals, but otherwise no longer.

The same should apply to distance rules.

"We have all longed for that moment when we can return to a certain normalcy," said CDC boss Rochelle Walensky at a press conference.

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The CDC had recently stated that according to new guidelines, vaccinated people no longer have to wear a mask in most outdoor situations. Fully vaccinated people could start doing things they stopped doing because of the pandemic, Walensky said. Those who have been vaccinated can now go to the cinema, gym or hairdresser without a mask. Visiting trade fairs, singing in choirs and eating in restaurants is also possible again without a mask, as the CDC explained. The White House immediately described the announcement as "big news". Around 118 million US citizens are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The United States also began vaccinating children and adolescents from the age of twelve against the coronavirus on a large scale on Thursday. Twelve to 15-year-olds could be vaccinated with the vaccine from Biontech and Pfizer across the country. The US health authority CDC had recommended the vaccinations for around 17 million children and adolescents of this age group the previous evening.