Vaccinated Americans can go outside without mask: US health body

Washington, Apr 28: In a major step, US health officials have said that fully vaccinated Americans don't need to wear masks outdoors anymore unless they are in a big crowd of strangers.

The move is seen as carefully calibrated step on the road back to normal from the outbreak that has killed over 570,000 people in U.S.

According to the new guidelines, whether they are fully vaccinated or not, people do not have to wear masks outdoors when they walk, bike or run alone or with members of their household.

Americans can also go maskless in small outdoor gatherings with fully vaccinated people.

But unvaccinated people - defined as those who have yet to receive both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson formula - should wear masks at small outdoor gatherings

They also should keep their faces covered when dining at outdoor restaurants with friends from multiple households.

And everyone, fully vaccinated or not, should keep wearing masks at crowded outdoor events such as concerts or sporting events.

The agency continues to recommend masks at indoor public places, such as hair salons, restaurants, shopping centers, gyms, museums and movie theaters, saying that is still the safer course even for vaccinated people.

According to the health officials, people who are two weeks past their final shot are less likely to have asymptomatic infections or transmit the coronavirus to others.

They say, singing, exercising, and eating indoors, all activities where people may potentially be emitting more infectious viral particles into the air, are considered less safe for unvaccinated people than vaccinated.

Reportedly, Biden administration has set July 4 as a target for when people could get together for backyard picnics with a sense of normalcy.