Vaccinated gaining freer rein

US guidance on socializing eased with deaths fall, but worries aired over variant

The US on Monday relaxed socializing guidelines for those fully vaccinated against COVID-19, even though health officials expressed concern about a possible spike in a more contagious variant of the coronavirus.

The worries over the virus strain that was first discovered in the UK are strongest for Florida, now the country's epicenter of the B.1.1.7. variant.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, announced the new guidelines for vaccinated people, saying they can gather with others of that status indoors without masks or physical distancing.