VOA慢速英语2021 美国卫生官员称完全接种疫苗后无需佩戴口罩（在线收听）

U.S. health officials say Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 do not need to wear face coverings or social distance in most places.

美国卫生官员表示，完全接种了新冠疫苗的美国人在大多数地方不需要戴口罩或是保持安全距离。

The change means that the United States can begin to re-open society and the nation after the year-long coronavirus health emergency.

这一变化意味着在长达一年的新冠病毒紧急状态之后，美国可以重新开放社会和国家。

Dr. Rochelle Walensky is the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known as the CDC. She said Thursday, "Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities – large or small — without wearing a mask or physically distancing."

罗谢尔·瓦伦斯基博士是美国疾控中心主任。她周四表示：“完全接种疫苗的人士可以参加无论规模大小的室内外活动，而无需佩戴口罩或是保持社交距离。”

Walensky added, "If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic."

瓦伦斯基还说：“如果你完全接种了疫苗，则可以开始做那些因为大流行而被迫中止的事情。”

She said the decision is based on the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in America and the agency's understanding of how the virus spreads. She noted that studies from the U.S. and Israel have shown that the approved vaccines are strongly protective in real situations. The vaccines, she added, continue to work although new versions, or variants, of the virus are spreading.

她说，这项决定是基于美国新冠肺炎病例数量的减少以及该机构对病毒传播方式的了解。她指出，美国和以色列的研究表明，获得批准的疫苗在实际情况下具有很强的保护作用。她还表示，尽管病毒新变种正在传播，但这些疫苗仍然能继续发挥作用。

The new CDC guidance, however, still calls for wearing masks in settings like buses, airplanes and hospitals. And Walensky also advises people with weak immune systems, such as those undergoing cancer treatment, to talk with their doctors before giving up their masks.

然而美国疾控中心的这份新指南仍然呼吁在公汽、飞机或是医院等场所佩戴口罩。瓦伦斯基还建议免疫系统薄弱的群体（例如正在接受癌症治疗的群体）在放弃戴口罩之前先问问他们的医生。

The CDC reported this week that about 154 million people in the United States have received at least one shot of vaccine. The agency noted that more than 117 million have been fully vaccinated.

美国疾控中心本周报告称，美国大约有1.54亿人至少接种了一剂疫苗。该机构指出，已经有超过1.17亿人完全接种了疫苗。

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also permitted the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children as young as 12.

本周，美国食品和药品管理局还批准辉瑞和生物新科技公司联合研制的疫苗可用于年龄低至12岁的儿童。

The new guidance comes as the U.S. is starting an aggressive campaign to vaccinate those who have not yet received the shots.

这份新指南发布之际，美国正在开始一场声势浩大的运动，为尚未接种的群体接种疫苗。

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden talked about a partnership with companies to provide free transportation for people to and from vaccination centers. He also told the nation's governors, "We have to make it easier and more convenient for all Americans to get vaccinated."

周二，美国总统拜登谈到了同各公司合作，为人们提供免费往返疫苗接种中心的交通服务。他还告诉美国各州州长：“我们必须让所有美国人更容易、更方便地接种疫苗。”

In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine announced a weekly lottery worth $1 million for those who have received the shots. Younger people would be in a lottery to win a chance to attend college at no cost.

俄亥俄州州长迈克·德维恩宣布每周为接种者提供价值100万美元的彩票。年轻人还将抽奖获得免费上大学的机会。

The new guidance had immediate effect at the White House.

这份新指南在白宫立即生效。

President Biden appeared in public for the first time without a mask since the start of the pandemic. He cheered the CDC's guidance and told Americans, "So for those who haven't gotten their vaccination yet, especially if you're younger, or think you don't need it, this is another great reason to go get vaccinated now."

自大流行以来，拜登总统首次不戴口罩公开露面。他为美国疾控中心的指南加油打气，并告诉美国人：“所以对于那些尚未接种疫苗的人士，尤其是如果你还年轻，或者自认无需接种疫苗，这是现在去接种疫苗的另一个重要理由。”

And White House employees were told that masks are no longer required for those who are fully vaccinated.

并且白宫员工被告知，完全接种了疫苗的人士不再需要戴口罩。