Biden says ‘Neanderthal thinking’ behind lifting of mask rules

President Joe Biden has criticised the lifting of mask requirements in the states of Texas and Mississippi, calling it "Neanderthal thinking".

"I think it's a big mistake," he said.

Masks, social distancing and other measures were still important, despite the role vaccines were playing in containing the pandemic, he said.

Texas and Mississippi will also allow all businesses to open at full capacity. Other states have announced a relaxation of some rules.

The US has recorded 28.7 million infections and 519,000 deaths related to Covid-19 since the pandemic began.

Some 78 million vaccine doses have been administered but Mr Biden said this was not a reason to end public health measures.

"The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime everything's fine, take off your mask, forget it," Mr Biden said. "It still matters."

Senior health officials in his administration have warned about the continued spread of the virus – and highly contagious variants of it – hampering the progress of the country's vaccination programme.

"Now is not the time to release all restrictions," Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said.

"The next month or two is really pivotal in terms of how this pandemic goes."