MASK OFF

Fauci Says Indoor Mask Mandates Should ‘Start Being More Liberal’

In an interview Sunday, Fauci said it may make sense to start loosing rules around indoor mask-wearing, as more and more adults get vaccinated.

In a Sunday interview on ABC News, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that as vaccination rates rise within the U.S., it may make sense to begin ditching indoor mask mandates. His statement came in response to comments last week by former Food and Drug Administration head Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who said health experts should consider getting rid of indoor mask mandates in places with a “high level of vaccination,” in order to retain public credibility should they need to reinstate them in case of a fall or winter surge. Asked if he agreed with Gottlieb’s comments, Fauci said, “I think so.” He added, “We do need to start being more liberal as we get more people vaccinated.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently revised public health mandates to say fully vaccinated people can go mask-free while outside. Over half of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and President Joe Biden has set a goal of getting 70 percent of adult Americans their first shot by July 4.