Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday that indoor mask guidance may soften soon as more and more Americans get vaccinated.
“I think you’re going to probably be seeing that as we go along, and as more people get vaccinated,” Fauci said to ABC News This Week. He said the CDC will be updating guidance in real time as the U.S. vaccination campaign progresses and cases and deaths continue to fall.
Current CDC guidance suggests that all people, whether vaccinated or not, should continue to wear masks in doors. The agency released new guidance in late April which permits people who are vaccinated to not wear a mask in certain outdoor settings.
Fauci: “Unlikely” US will see COVID-19 surge in fall, winter https://t.co/a44t9R2wMG pic.twitter.com/exLFGk5WWH
— The Hill (@thehill) May 9, 2021
Fauci added that he expects the U.S. will be almost back to normal by next Mother’s Day: “I hope that next Mother’s Day, we’re going to see a dramatic difference than what we’re seeing right now. I believe that we will be about as close to back to normal as we can.”
He said that a return to normal requires more people to be vaccinated, though. “You’re not going to see a surge. You’re not going to see the kinds of numbers we see now” if enough Americans get a shot, he said. (RELATED: The COVID Crazies Have Been Demanding We Do More Than What’s Actually Required)
More than 152 million Americans have gotten at least one vaccine dose, and more than 114 million are fully vaccinated. Cases and deaths have fallen sharply since January and are approaching summer 2020 levels.