That is the question facing US states, businesses and people in their everyday lives in the wake of the bombshell announcement by the top health authority lifting most restrictions for those fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
President Joe Biden hailed the change in guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calling it a “great day” for America.
But if the idea sounded straightforward in theory, it has raised questions about how to implement it practically — the foremost being, how do you tell if a person is fully vaccinated?
Then there is mixed reactions felt by many concerning the safety measures and restrictions around the world.
CDC scientific recommendations: To mask or not to mask?
The CDC’s recommendations are non-binding, and actual policy is left for the relevant local authorities or employers to decide.
Questions are arising whether it apply to planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation, or to medical settings such as hospitals.
The situation has left CEOs and local officials caught in a dilemma — whether to follow the scientific recommendations right away, or make sure people are comfortable with it.
Mask use is also a politically divisive issue, with conservative-leaning parts of the country much quicker to go without than liberal areas.
Matters came to a head in Congress Friday, when an aide to far right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted at Democratic representative Eric Swalwell to take off his mask.
