CDC Lifts Most Mask Guidance in Key Step Back to Normal (3)

President Joe Biden took his biggest step yet toward declaring victory over the coronavirus pandemic -- as public health officials said fully vaccinated Americans can ditch their masks in most settings, even indoors or in large groups.

“Today is a great day for America in our long battle with coronavirus,” Biden said in the White House Rose Garden on Thursday, calling the U.S. vaccination program an “historical logistical achievement.”

The guidance shift Thursday is a turning point in the fight against Covid-19 and comes as U.S. caseloads fall and vaccinations rise. It signals a broad return to everyday life, and ...