People who are fully vaccinated against the new coronavirus can meet privately in small groups without masks or physical distance, said the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, relaxing the safety guidelines for inoculated individuals in some circumstances.
The CDC said on Monday that fully vaccinated people should continue to take precautions in most circumstances to prevent the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19. People who are fully immunized should continue to wear masks and keep their distance from others in public or while visiting unvaccinated people at increased risk for serious Covid-19 cases, said the CDC.
It is possible that vaccinated people may still be infected with the virus and pass it on to others who are at risk of serious illness, public health experts say. But early research suggests that, in addition to protecting against serious cases of Covid-19 that can lead to hospitalization or death, authorized vaccines are also likely to make people less vulnerable to infection and potentially less likely to spread the virus, said the CDC .
“There are some activities that people who are fully vaccinated can begin to resume now in the privacy of their own homes,” said CDC director Rochelle Walensky in a statement. “Everyone – even those who have been vaccinated – must continue with all mitigation strategies when in public settings.”
The CDC has released its guidance to vaccinated people, as more than 90 million Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in the United States, allowing people who have been vaccinated to navigate life during the pandemic with that additional layer of protection against the virus. More than 17% of the US population received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to CDC data, and just over 9% of the population received two vaccines.