If the US which botched much of its pandemic response can all but come out of the other side, nations with the means and where mask wearing is not a political statement could do even better.
Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN
The big test of America’s great reopening will come in a fortnight.
Last year, as Covid-19 tightened its grip, public holidays like Memorial Day at the end of May, Independence Day on July 4, and Labor Day in September became infection spreaders as millions of Americans hit the road and gathered with others despite pleas to stay home and stay apart.
This year, US airports just set holiday weekend pandemic-era records by screening 8.97 million people, as people activated long-delayed plans to travel and rekindle ties with family and friends. “In some ways, this was the first big stress test,” says CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen. The difference now is that tens of millions of Americans are fully vaccinated and nearly 51% of the population has had at least one shot.