New mask guidance from U.S. Centres for Disease Control

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear masks outdoors and in most indoor settings.

Joe Biden is calling it “a great day for America.”

The president also says it’s a major step toward returning to pre-pandemic life.

The new guidance from the CDC still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes and hospitals but it clears the way for reopening workplaces and schools.

More than 46 per cent of the U.S. population has been given at least one dose and more than a third given both.

Meanwhile, Canada’s top public health officials suggests a different approach would be taken north of the border.

“We have more of what I’d call a collective or community approach,” says Dr. Howard Njoo, deputy chief public health officer.

“So it’s not about what an individual should be able to do with one or two doses.”

He says even as more Canadians get their shots, public health measures such as physical distancing, mask wearing and frequent hand washing remain key.