Fully vaccinated people in the US can gather without masks, according to new guidelines released on Monday by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr Rochelle Walensky, the head of the agency, revealed the new regulations during the White House Covid-19 Task Force briefing on Monday morning.
She said fully vaccinated people can safely visit each other in private settings without face masks or social distancing measures.
"You can visit your grandparents if you have been vaccinated and they have been too," Dr Walensky said.
Fully vaccinated people are defined as those who have had both doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
People who have been inoculated should limit attending gatherings for two weeks after their last dose.
Dr Walensky outlined a second scenario that said fully vaccinated people can meet unvaccinated people who are not at high risk for severe Covid-19 symptoms.
People at high risk of severe disease are those who have diabetes, cancer, or who are immunocompromised.
“We believe these new recommendations are an important first step in our efforts to resume everyday activities in our communities,” she said in the briefing.
The guidance was highly anticipated as the vaccinated population is growing by the day. Approximately 17.7 per cent of people in the US have received one or more doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to the agency's vaccine tracker.
As of Monday morning, 9.2 per cent of people in the country, or about 30 million people, have been fully vaccinated.
The agency is still urging fully vaccinated people to wear face masks and practise social distancing in medium to large gatherings or in crowded spaces.
However, they do not have to quarantine or test for Covid-19 after they have been exposed if they are asymptomatic, though they should be tested if they experience Covid-19 symptoms.
There is a small chance a fully vaccinated person can still spread the virus to those who have not been immunised, the US health agency said.
Dr Walensky advised against travel as the US is still dealing with high levels of daily infections and there are fears of a smaller fourth surge in cases, especially with the introduction of new, possibly more transmissible variants.
The US has recorded 29 million coronavirus cases and more than 525,000 deaths from Covid-19, both the highest tallies globally.
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Medical worker Robert Gilbertson loads a syringe with the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to be administered by nurses at a vaccination site at Kedren Community Health Center, in South Central Los Angeles, California. AFP -
Registered Nurse Myra Braziel administers a Moderna Covid-19 vaccine to a woman using an umbrella to keep social distance, at Kedren Community Health Center, in South Central Los Angeles, California. AFP -
People wait in line to get inoculated with the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine at Kedren Community Health Center, in South Central Los Angeles, California. AFP -
A member of the California National Guard carries syringes filled with doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at mass vaccination site at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. Bloomberg -
US Army soldiers direct people waiting to receive a Covid-19 vaccine at a drive-thru mass vaccination site in East Los Angeles, California. Bloomberg -
A passenger who was vaccinated waves to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti at a new large-scale Covid-19 vaccination site at Cal State Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California. AFP -
A US Army soldier rests outside a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer at a mass vaccination site co-operated by FEMA and Cal OES in East Los Angeles, California. Bloomberg -
A FEMA worker walks through a mass vaccination site co-operated by FEMA and Cal OES in East Los Angeles, California. Bloomberg -
Keenan Miles of the Shoreline Fire Department loads gear into a vehicle as his mobile Covid-19 vaccination team prepares to visit adult family homes in Shoreline, Washington. AFP -
Members of a mobile Covid-19 vaccination team with the Shoreline Fire Department vaccinate a resident at an adult family home in Shoreline, Washington. AFP -
Nathan Downey, part of a mobile vaccination team with the Shoreline Fire Department, drops off vaccination cards at an adult family home after helping to vaccinate residents and staff in Shoreline, Washington. AFP -
A group of people listen to a saxophonist in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. AFP -
A woman stands while others do yoga at Bayfront Park in Sarasota, Florida. Reuters -
A sign is posted outside the Turner Center drive-thru testing site in Arcadia, Florida. Reuters -
Social distancing markers are seen inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Bloomberg
The Food and Drug Administration has so far approved three vaccines for emergency use in the US: two-dose vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, and a one-dose vaccine by Johnson & Johnson. The Pfizer and Moderna shots are required to be taken a few weeks apart.
President Joe Biden says there will be enough vaccine supply for all adults in the country as early as the end of May or in early June.
A vaccine tracker by Bloomberg News says the US is inoculating about two million people each day.
There are ongoing conversations about how many people need to be vaccinated in order for the US to reach herd immunity, with scientists estimating about 80 per cent of the adult population will be needed to reach that level.
Dr Walensky stated she will continue to update guidelines as additional research comes out.
“We’re hopeful that our next set of guidance will have more science around what vaccinated people can do, perhaps travel being among them," she said.
