America tastes new freedoms but confronts new dilemmas as it takes off the mask

Vaccinated Americans spent the most normal weekend for more than a year exploring restored freedoms to gather without masks but also dilemmas over personal and collective responsibility sparked by new government health guidance.

After many months of being told to mask up and keep their distance, millions of citizens are now grappling with when, whether and where to ditch or wear face coverings as a more hopeful stage dawns in a still dangerous crisis. While there is a sense of national liberation at last, there's also a risk the new advice will cause mask and vaccine skeptics to ignore precautions entirely, putting themselves and those yet to be vaccinated at increased risk. The chance to drop masks is also forcing many people to confront peer pressure and questions of social etiquette as they consider how to behave. The question is particularly tough for parents of children who are too young to be inoculated but could be more exposed to the virus in places like supermarkets as masks disappear. The same is true for people who may have compromised immune systems because of personal health issues.