By: Teddy Grant

Fully vaccinated people have been offered a short olive branch. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday that they could hang around other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing.  

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at the White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing on Monday that the decision is an integral move in returning to normalcy but that there’s still more work to be done, according to CNN. 

“Covid-19 continues to exert a tremendous toll on our nation. Like you, I want to be able to return to everyday activities and engage with our friends, families, and communities,” she said. “Science, and the protection of public health must guide us as we begin to resume these activities. Today’s action represents an important first step. It is not our final destination.” 

As more Americans get vaccinated, the need to gather in small groups with family and friends without masks or social distancing has increased.  

“We know that people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” Walensky told the AP.  

According to NPR, the country is administering more than 2.2 million shots of the vaccine daily. CDC data shows that over 90 million doses of the vaccine have been given since the U.S. started vaccinating Americans in December.  

CDC guidelines also said that fully vaccinated Americans could gather indoors with unvaccinated people from another household as long as they’re considered low risk.  

Despite the latest guidelines, the CDC said that people should still avoid crowds and wear masks in public places.