Biden calls new mask guidance a ‘great milestone’

President Biden on Thursday took a rare victory lap on the coronavirus, calling new federal guidance that suggests people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks a “great milestone.”

Standing at a lectern in the Rose Garden without a mask on, Biden praised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidance, which was announced just an hour before he spoke.

“If you have 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,” he said.

“I think it’s a great milestone, a great day. It’s been made possible by the extraordinary success we have had in vaccinating so many Americans, so quickly,” Biden added.

The president, who has often taken a more somber tone when talking about the pandemic, praised the speed of the U.S. vaccination effort, saying its success in such a short time period has led to Americans having fewer restrictions.