New Jersey Muslims gather for Eid ul-Fitr [Source: BBC]
President Joe Biden has hailed a “great day for America” as US officials said vaccinated Americans can go mask-less in most indoor and outdoor settings.
The president removed his mask in the Oval Office with Republican lawmakers as the guidance was being announced.
The advice still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes and hospitals.
The Biden administration has faced pressure to ease restrictions on fully vaccinated people.
In another major step for the US in returning to pre-pandemic life, the president of the 1.7m-member American Federation of Teachers labour union called for schools to reopen fully in the autumn.
It comes after Pfizer’s vaccine was approved for children aged 12 to 15.
The US coronavirus caseload has fallen to its lowest point since last September, with deaths at their fewest since last April.
According to the new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), physical distancing can also cease for the fully vaccinated.
