U.S. President Joe Biden took his biggest step yet toward declaring victory over the coronavirus pandemic — as public health officials said fully vaccinated Americans can ditch their masks in most settings, even indoors or in large groups.
"Today is a great day for America in our long battle with coronavirus,” Biden said at the White House on Thursday, calling the U.S. vaccination program a "historical logistical achievement.”
The guidance shift Thursday is a turning point in the fight against COVID-19 and comes as U.S. caseloads fall and vaccinations rise. It signals a broad return to everyday life, and is also a bet that any surge in spread from relaxed guidelines won’t be enough to reverse progress in inoculations. The administration also used it as a further incentive for vaccination.