WASHINGTON (AP) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is easing mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

The new guidance announced Thursday is a major step toward returning to pre-pandemic life. President Joe Biden said, “Today is a great day for America.”

Get our free mobile app

The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but it will help clear the way for reopening workplaces and schools.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says: “We have all longed for this moment — when we can get back to some sense of normalcy."

UP NEXT: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

 

More From KGAB