Fauci says people are 'misinterpreting' the new CDC mask guidance and it didn't mean everyone could take off their masks

Dr. Anthony Fauci said many people were "misinterpreting" the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new guidance on wearing masks.

The CDC last week recommended that people who were fully vaccinated could remove their masks in most circumstances, inside or outside.

"I think people are misinterpreting, thinking that this is a removal of a mask mandate for everyone," Fauci told Axios. "It's not.

"It's an assurance to those who are vaccinated that they can feel safe, be they outdoors or indoors."

Fauci added: "It's not their fault.

"People either read them quickly, or listen and hear half of it. They are feeling that we're saying: 'You don't need the mask anymore.' That's not what the CDC said.

"They said: If you are vaccinated, you can feel safe - that you will not get infected either outdoors or indoors. It did not explicitly say that unvaccinated people should abandon their masks."