The Maskless Milestone: "Great Day For America"

Today marked a much-awaited milestone in the COVID-19 struggle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that if you are fully vaccinated, you may stop wearing a mask outdoors and indoors in certain situations:

"The guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but it will help clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools, and other venues — even removing the need for social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated."

President Biden and Vice President Harris made the announcement in the Rose Garden without their masks, with the President saying:

“'Today is a great day for America. If you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask....The rule is very simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do. The choice is yours. You all made this possible. Now let's finish the work of beating this virus and getting everything back to normal."

Earlier in a meeting in the Oval Office, word came about the CDC's mask guidance as Biden met with Democratic and Republican Senators, as they all removed their masks.

(photo: Biden and Harris walk back to the Oval Office after the mask announcement. Evan Vucci / AP)