Members of the White House's pandemic task force and other public health officials held a media briefing this morning, announcing new dos and don'ts for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, reported 9.2% of Americans are now fully vaccinated.
She also outlined new guidelines for how people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine should interact with other vaccinated people and unvaccinated people.
The guidance is applicable 14 days after receiving the final dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
"CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people can visit with other fully vaccinated people in small gatherings indoors, without wearing masks or physical distancing," Dr. Walensky said.
As for vaccinated people interacting with unvaccinated people from one other household, Walensky stated that the new guidelines allow for that, "as long as the unvaccinated people, and any unvaccinated members of their household are not at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease." She explained further:
"This means that none of the unvaccinated people or any unvaccinated members of their households, for example, are an adult over age 65, or have an underlying condition such as cancer, heart disease or diabetes, that could increase their risk of COVID-19 related hospitalization or death."
Unvaccinated people at high risk for COVID-19 should continue to wear masks, keep physical distance and meet outdoors when interacting with others, even people who have been vaccinated.
And when vaccinated people are interacting with unvaccinated people from multiple households, Walensky advised that "everyone should wear masks and physically distance, and meet outdoors in a well ventilated space."
The CDC has not changed its travel guidelines, she noted.
Watch the press briefing below:
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