HEREâS WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
JUNEAU, Alaska â The acting mayor of Anchorage says Alaskaâs largest city is revoking its mask mandate, starting May 21.
Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidsonâs office says masks no longer will be required in indoor or outdoor settings but that people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are encouraged to wear masks.
The decision follows guidance released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday for people who are vaccinated.
Quinn-Davidsonâs office says applying a mask mandate only to those who are not vaccinated in Anchorage would have created enforcement challenges and issues for businesses.
The Latest: Louisiana further eases state mask requirements
By The Associated Press Associated Press May 14, 2021 6:10pm Text size Copy shortlink:
BATON ROUGE, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has further eased the state s mask requirements.
Edwards largely dropped the state mask mandate on April 27, but there were exceptions. Friday s order drops the requirement for entry into state office buildings for people who are fully vaccinated.
Masking is still required by the state in educational facilities from early childhood classes to universities, and at state correctional facilities and health care facilities.
New Orleans, which had a tougher mask mandate than the state s, also did away with
ATLANTA â Delta Air Lines will require new employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 starting on Monday.
The airline wonât impose the same requirement on current employees, of whom more than 60% are vaccinated, a spokesman said Friday. The airline says the policy for new hires is designed to protect other employees and passengers as travel demand recovers from last yearâs pandemic low levels.
Meanwhile, some airline stocks rose after the CDCâs new guidance for people who are fully vaccinated. United Airlines was up 4% in early Friday trading, and other U.S. airlines rose by smaller amounts.
The federal requirement for wearing face masks on planes remains in place. A spokesman for trade group Airlines for America says carriers will continue to enforce the rule.
Several states immediately and enthusiastically embraced new guidelines from the CDC that say fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks indoors or out in most.