This the Fauci you talking about:
Fauci said that it's "common sense" there's a lower risk of spreading the virus outdoors and foreshadowed a potential change in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to that effect. He said the agency would make its recommendations, coming as a larger portion of the population gets vaccinated, after ensuring it looks "at the data and the data backs it up."
"I don't want to get ahead of them... but I think it's pretty common sense now that outdoor risk is really, really quite low. Particularly, I mean if you are a vaccinated person wearing a mask outdoors, I mean obviously the risk is minuscule," Fauci responded.
"What ... the country is going to be hearing soon, is updated guidelines from the CDC. The CDC is a science-based organization. They don't want to make any guidelines unless they look at the data and the data backs it up," Fauci continued.
Fauci's comments come as CDC guidance continues to tell Americans to "wear masks in public settings, at events and gatherings, and anywhere they will be around other people."
It also says masks are "NOT a substitute for social distancing. Masks should still be worn in addition to staying 6 feet apart, especially when indoor around people who don't live in our household." It does add that masks "may not be necessary when you are outside by yourself away from others, or with people who live in your household."
Recent CDC guidelines also say fully vaccinated people should continue to wear "masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households."
But he also encouraged people last year to still wear masks outdoors. He told the health care forum Advisory Board in July that "on the rare occasion" people come to his house they are outdoors and socially distanced, while wearing "masks, unless we are eating."
Fauci also said in an August Facebook Live chat with then-Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo that masks should still be worn outside despite decreased risk.
Fauci also told Raimondo he wears a mask when in a car with others even if the windows are open.
"I keep the mask on, keep the windows open," he said.