By: Teddy Grant

President Joe Biden praised the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday for issuing new guidance that loosens mask mandates for the fully vaccinated.

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“I think it’s a great milestone, a great day. It’s been made possible by the extraordinary success we have had in vaccinating so many Americans so quickly,” Biden said.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a White House briefing Monday that fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks indoors or outside and that social distancing isn’t required, The Hill reported.

“If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” she continued. “We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”

During Biden’s remarks, he praised people in the health care industry for their efforts to vaccinate Americans, per CNN.

“Over the past 114 days, our vaccination program has led the world and that’s due to the incredible hard work of so many people,” Biden said.

“The scientists and researchers, the drug companies, the National Guard, the US Military, FEMA, the nation’s governors, doctors, nurses, pharmacists. Everyone who has moved heaven and Earth to get as many shots into arms of as many Americans as possible. It’s truly been an all-hands-on-deck for the country effort.”

Around 35 percent of the population is vaccinated, which is over 117 million people, according to The Hill.

“The CDC has a very clear and loud message for all of us, “‘go get vaccinated and you can begin to return back to normal,'” Dr. Kevin Sneed, a professor at USF Health’s Taneja College of Pharmac, told BNC.