May 14 coronavirus news

Publix will be changing their masking policy to match the new guidelines set forth by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a company spokesperson told CNN on Friday.

Starting Saturday, fully vaccinated employees and customers will not be required to wear face coverings, according to the statement.

“As a result of the recently updated U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, Publix will no longer require fully vaccinated associates or customers to wear face coverings, unless required by a state or local order or ordinance, beginning May 15,” the statement read.

Children who are not yet vaccinated against Covid-19 will still need to wear masks in the classroom this fall, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, in most circumstances.

“First of all, the schools should be open, face-to-face, in-person classes in the fall,” Fauci told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “We absolutely have to do that.”

In those situations, children who are not vaccinated ­— and most elementary school students won’t be — should wear a mask, Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said. Earlier Friday, he said that elementary school children likely won’t be vaccinated until the end of the year.

Fauci added that he can “almost guarantee” that most schools will require unvaccinated people to wear masks on campus.

He noted that this is not a departure from current CDC guidance.

“The unvaccinated group, or the elementary school children – nothing has really changed for them,” Fauci said. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci emphasized Friday that the decision to wear a mask or not is up to each vaccinated individual.

“People who are vaccinated should feel perfectly comfortable in going indoors without a mask,” Fauci told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer Friday. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, in most circumstances.

Wolf asked Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, if he would be comfortable going into a local restaurant for a beer and hamburger without a mask.

“The answer is yes. If I had the time to do it, I would do it,” Fauci said. “I would feel comfortable now in indoor settings, going in without a mask.”

Delaware Gov. John Carney announced Friday the statewide mask mandate will be lifted on May 21.

Delawareans and visitors will no longer be required to wear masks or face coverings indoors or outdoors based on updated guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he added.

Citing CDC guidance, Carney said people who are not currently vaccinated should continue to wear masks “when around others who are outside their immediate household,” according to a statement from the governor’s office.

“It’s clear that the COVID-19 vaccines are extremely safe and protective against infection and serious illness,” Carney said in the statement. “Delawareans who are fully vaccinated have significant protection against this virus and can feel comfortable getting back to the things they loved to do before this pandemic. For our neighbors who aren’t vaccinated, the message is clear. The COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection we have against the virus.”

Face coverings will still be required in all indoor locations, including shops and restaurants, as well as at all attractions, from the moment the line begins until the exit of the experience, according to the new guidelines.

Guests must still maintain a distance of 3 feet.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday the state will be lifting coronavirus mask mandates.

“Businesses across the state and other workplaces are obviously free to set their own policies in respect to masking and we respect their ability to do so,” said Hogan. “There will just no longer be any legal mandate from the state.”

Public transportation, health care settings, and schools will be the only exceptions, he added.  

The state’s positivity rate dropped below 1.91% on Friday, the second lowest positivity rate during the entire pandemic.  

Costco said Friday that in its US locations where there are no state or local mask mandates, customers who are vaccinated against Covid-19 can shop without masks. 

“We will allow members and guests who are fully vaccinated to enter Costco without a face mask or face shield,” in those areas, the company said in a message posted to its website Friday.

“Costco continues to recommend that all members and guests, especially those who are at higher risk, wear a mask or shield.” 

Costco won’t require proof that customers have been vaccinated. Instead, the message said, “we ask for members’ responsible and respectful cooperation with this revised policy.” 

All customers will still have to wear face coverings in Costco’s pharmacy and other health care settings, the company specified. 

They will also have to wear them if they are in stores in locations where there are mask mandates.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has lifted the statewide mask mandate for vaccinated people in the state, according to a news release.

“Virginians have been working hard, and we are seeing the results in our strong vaccine numbers and dramatically lowered case counts," Northam said in the release. “That’s why we can safely move up the timeline for lifting mitigation measures in Virginia. I strongly urge any Virginian who is not yet vaccinated to do so—the vaccines are the best way to protect yourself and your community from COVID-19. The message is clear: vaccinations are how we put this pandemic in the rearview mirror and get back to being with the people we love and doing the things we have missed.”

Northam also announced that the state will ease all distancing and capacity restrictions on May 28, two weeks earlier than planned.

The Minnesota Executive Council has approved ending the statewide mask mandate following the mask guidelines issued by the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Thursday, a news release from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's office said Friday.

Walz signed an executive order Friday to end the mask mandate in the state, according to the release.

The governor also signed an executive order to extend the peacetime emergency in the state to maintain its testing program and vaccine distribution, the release said.