America is unmasked

WASHINGTON: The top US health agency is lifting maskwearing guidance for people who are vaccinated against COVID-19, a watershed moment that President Joe Biden called “a great day” in the long pandemic fight.

The announcement by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) marked an abrupt turnaround after more than a year of urging people to cover their faces to stem the spread.

“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,” the CDC’s director Rochelle Walensky said during a briefing.

“If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”

In an emotional address from the White House, Mr Biden (pictured) declared a major victory in the battle against the virus that has killed more than 580,000 Americans.

“I think it’s a great milestone, a great day,” he said.

The move sparked joyful reactions in some, but others said they would continue to wear masks out of caution.

Data shows the extremely high efficacy of authorised vaccines, not just to prevent symptomatic COVID-19 but also asymptomatic infection and onward transmission.

Almost 60 per cent of US adults have had one or more doses and cases are falling fast, down to a seven-day-average of 38,000 or 11 per 100,000.

And on Thursday, the campaign to vaccinate adolescents aged 12 to 15 began in earnest following the authorisation of the Pfizer vaccine in this age group.

According to the CDC’s website, masks may still be required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation travelling into, within, or out of the US, and in US transportation hubs such as airports and stations.

Fully vaccinated international travellers arriving in the US still need to get tested within three days of their flight, or show documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past three months.

Ms Walensky said immune-compromised people should talk to their doctor before giving up their mask. She said the guidance could change if the situation worsened.

Infections are heading down in many parts of the world but still surging in hot spots including Brazil and India, where the death toll has topped 250,000 though experts presume it is higher still.

Daily new cases have also risen 60-fold in neighbouring Nepal.