Joe Biden told Americans if they are fully vaccinated they don’t need to wear a face mask from the Rose Garden on May 13, 2021.
Transcript:
Now, I want to be clear about what the CD- — CDC is saying and what the CDC is not saying. The CDC is saying they have concluded that fully vaccinated people are at a very, very low risk of getting COVID-19. Therefore, if you’ve been fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask. Let me repeat: If you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask.
But if you’ve not been vaccinated, or if you’re getting a two-shot rou- — vaccine, and you’ve not gotten your — you’ve only had your first shot but not your second or you haven’t waited two full two weeks after your second shot, you still need to wear a mask.
Look, we’ve gotten this far; please protect yourself until you get to the finish line. Because as great as this announcement is today, we don’t want to let up. We all know how tough this virus has been. The safest thing for the country is for everyone to get vaccinated.
And getting vaccinated is easier than ever. We’ve worked so hard. We have 80,000 locations. Ninety percent of you live within five miles of one of those locations.
You can find a vaccine site near you by texting your ZIP Code to the following number: 438829. Let me repeat: Text your vic- — your ZIP Code to 438829. And it’ll get the places nearest to you you can go and get vaccinated now. And many places don’t require an appointment. It’s free. Just walk in, get the shot. Anyone 12 years or above in age is eligible.
And for now, after a year of hard work and so much sacrifice, the rule is very simple: Get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do. It’s vax’ed or masked. Get vaccinated.
If you’re vaccinated, you can be around the vaccinated or unvaccinated people. But if you’re not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated, you should wear a mask for your own protection and the protection of other unvaccinated people. The choice is yours.
You all made this possible. Now let’s finish the work of beating this virus and getting everything back to normal.
Remember, as fast as we’ve gone, most people under the age of 65 aren’t vaccinated yet. We’ve opened vaccinations nationally to all adults just four weeks ago. It’s going to take a little more time for everyone who wants to get vaccinated to get their shots. So, all of us, let’s be patient. Be patient with one another.
You know, some may say, “I just feel more comfortable continuing to wear a mask.” They may feel that way. So if you’re someone with a mask — you see them, please treat them with kindness and respect. We’ve had too much conflict, too much bitterness, too much anger, too much polarization of this issue about wearing masks. Let’s put it to rest.
Let’s remember, we’re all Americans. Let’s remember that we are all in this together.
If you’re fully vaccinated and can take your mask off, you’ve earned the right to do something that Americans are known for all around the world: greeting others with a smile — with a smile.