CDC to Loosen Mask Guidance for Vaccinated People in Most Places

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to update masking guidance on Thursday to say that vaccinated individuals don’t have to wear a mask or socially distance in most places, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The change represents the latest loosening of public-health guidance aimed at encouraging vaccination and emphasizing the shots’ benefits, and comes on the heels of a previous relaxation of guidance from the agency in the past several weeks regarding wearing masks outdoors.

The changes are being made based on growing body of evidence that vaccines work in real-world settings and protect against virus variants, as well as that vaccinated people have a low likelihood of transmitting the virus, the person said.

President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks on the Covid-19 response and the vaccination program later this afternoon.

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