One of the nation’s top health officials outlined guidance Tuesday for how Americans should view this Memorial Day weekend amid the pandemic, a holiday that sparked spikes in cases and hospitalizations last year.

What You Need To Know

  • The CDC director gave Americans guidance about how to view the upcoming Memorial Day weekend

  • Dr. Walensky said that vaccinated Americans can enjoy the holiday and gather with others, while unvaccinated people are still at risk

  • She credited vaccinations as the reason for the continued decline in cases and deaths in the U.S., and she urged more people to get the shot

  • As of Tuesday, 50% of U.S. adults were fully vaccinated, a major milestone in the vaccination campaign

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said that vaccinated people can gather with friends and family and enjoy the holiday, per current CDC guidance, but she also warned unvaccinated people to remain cautious.

“If you are vaccinated, you are protected, and you can enjoy your Memorial Day,” Dr. Walensky said. “If you are not vaccinated, our guidance has not changed for you, you remain at risk of infection. You still need to mask and take other precautions.”

The CDC director also pointed to the positive trends in daily case numbers and deaths, which continue to decline.

The U.S. is averaging about 23,000 cases per day, she said, a 25% drop from last week’s numbers.

About 500 Americans are still dying each day, on average, from the virus, which represents another decrease from previous weeks.

Dr. Walensky credited vaccinations for the continued trend of lower cases, deaths and hospitalizations, and she pleaded with Americans who haven’t gotten the shot to step up.

“I want to encourage you to take this holiday weekend to give yourself and your family the gift of protection by getting vaccinated,” she said. “We are on a good downward path, but we are not quite out of the woods yet.”

As of Tuesday, the U.S. had fully vaccinated 50% of the adult population, with another 30 million adults having gotten at least one dose.

President Joe Biden has set a goal of getting 70% of U.S. adults at least one shot by July 4, which would equal another 20 million doses given.

On Tuesday, White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt called on Americans to seek out information about the shots if they aren’t yet vaccinated.

“For those on the fence, find whatever reason you want to get vaccinated. For those not sure yet, do your homework. Talk to your doctor or your pharmacist,” he said. “All concerns are reasonable, but do yourself a favor. Don't let some guy on Facebook answer your question when good answers are available.”