CDC director says she sees a ‘great endpoint in sight’ after relaxing mask advice for vaccinated people

• The CDC director said she sees a “great endpoint in sight” for the pandemic after new mask guidance.
• But Rochelle Walensky said people still had to be careful.
• The CDC on Thursday said fully vaccinated people can take off their masks in most settings.
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The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said she sees a “great endpoint in sight” for the pandemic after the agency changed its mask guidance for fully vaccinated people.

Rochelle Walensky told the “Today” show on Friday: “I am cautiously optimistic that we are seeing this great endpoint in sight.”

“But I think we really do have to be humble and say that this virus, this pandemic, has given us twists and turns so we can’t get our eye off the ball and we do have to continue to monitor really carefully,” she said.

Watch her speak here:

-TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 14, 2021

On Thursday, the CDC said that people who had been fully vaccinated could take off their masks indoors and outdoors in most settings.