With more than a third of around 36 million people age 65 and over having received a second shot of a COVID-19 vaccine, more and more people are starting to wonder if they can finally ditch face masks outdoors.
Mask-wearing and social distancing protocols differ from country to country depending on the virus situation and vaccine rollout, which can be confusing for the public.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, for example, announced Monday that England will end mandatory mask wearing and social distancing despite a recent surge in daily COVID-19 infections, with cases exceeding 20,000. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, has said that people who are fully vaccinated can remove their masks and no longer need to stay six feet (1.8 meters) apart, except in places required by states or on public transportation.