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Mask Off?: CDC Issues New Guidelines Saying Vaccinated People Can Ditch Face Coverings, Twitter Skeptical

[caption id="attachment_972043" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Source: Xinhua News Agency / Getty[/caption] The light at the end of the pandemic tunnel seems to have gotten brighter. The CDC has issued new guidelines that give those who have grown tired of mask-wearing and social distancing a huge breath of fresh air. Thursday (May 13), the Centers for Disease Control sent a bit of a shock to the country when it shared long-awaited guidance for those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, stating that they no longer need to wear masks in most circumstances. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced during a White House press briefing Thursday. “We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.” https://twitter.com/ZekeJMiller/status/1392919155322544130?s=20 Based on carefully studied mounting evidence that the COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at blunting the transmission of the coronavirus and keeping people from becoming seriously ill, fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear face coverings, stay six feet away from others in most settings, whether indoors or outdoors the CDC announced. There are still exceptions when it comes to being in hospitals, crowded indoor spaces, and traveling on planes, trains, and mass transit masks are still required. https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1392908020775010312?s=20 The reception of the news, however, has understandably been mixed. While many like The Today Show's Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie celebrated their first time in a studio together, unmasked and not socially distanced after a long 15 months. https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1393160572988952578?s=20 While others on Twitter are saying AHT, AHT, AHT to the new CDC guidance and are not as reluctant to give up their masks yet plus are very nervous that this might send us right back to those dark times at the height of the pandemic. https://twitter.com/MisterPreda/status/1392976534198124549?s=20 https://twitter.com/jumpedforjoi/status/1392929248428572678?s=20 Totally understandable. But this guidance was inevitable as the numbers show that vaccines work. The CDC is hoping this gives those who are still reluctant to get vaccinated the incentive to get the life-saving shot. We shall see how this pans out as the summer approaches, and people began to head back outside. You can peep more reactions to the CDC telling vaccinated individuals they can take off their masks in the gallery below. — Photo: Xinhua News Agency / Getty