Vaccinated? CDC Expected To Say You Don’t Need Mask Outdoors

CNN: Biden Will Announce New CDC Mask Guidance Tuesday, Sources Say 
President Joe Biden is expected to announce Tuesday that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidance for wearing masks outdoors, three people familiar with the expected announcement said. Ahead of his first address to Congress on Wednesday, the President will give remarks on the state of the pandemic on Tuesday. The three people familiar with the expected announcement said Biden will announce new CDC guidance on whether vaccinated people need to wear masks outdoors, though the final language of the expected announcement is still unclear. (Collins and Sullivan, 4/26)

Bloomberg: Vaccinated Americans May Get Clearance to Not Wear Masks Outdoors
A growing call for health officials to relax rules about outdoor mask wearing could soon lead to one of the most significant changes in virus guidelines since the U.S. first told Americans to don face coverings to curb the spread of Covid-19. Outdoor mask wearing has been the subject of controversy in recent weeks. There’s evidence that vaccines not only prevent illness, but also viral transmission. And with the U.S. averaging 2.74 million vaccine doses daily -- with a total of 231 million given out overall -- even some public health experts are calling for less strict guidelines as warmer weather arrives. (Brown, 4/26)

In other mask news —

CNN: Alaska Airlines Bans State Lawmaker For Her 'Continued Refusal To Comply' With Mask Mandate 
An Alaska state lawmaker who had called flight attendants "mask bullies" and clashed with airline employees on video over mask rules is now banned from Alaska Airlines for her "continued refusal to comply" with the mask policy, the airline said in a statement. The restriction on Republican state Sen. Lora Reinbold will make her job more difficult: Alaska Airlines operates the only regular flights between her home north of Anchorage and the state capital in Juneau. (Bradner and Silverman, 4/26)

KFVS: Face Masks No Longer Required Outside Or At Small Events In Ky.
On Monday, Governor Andy Beshear announced that starting on April 27, the statewide mask mandate will no longer be in effect when Kentuckians are outside at events or venues with 1,000 people or fewer. “What this means is at events like the Kentucky Derby, you still have to wear a mask, but if you’re at a backyard barbeque, your community pool or an outdoor wedding, you’re not required to wear a mask,” said Gov. Beshear. “We hope this is a relief for people, and remember, the state will be able to lift even more restrictions once the 2.5 million vaccine Team Kentucky Vaccination Challenge is reached.” (4/26)

The Daily Beast: Tucker Carlson Tells Fox Viewers To Call The Cops If They See Kids Wearing Masks Outdoors
Raging against face masks on Monday night, Fox News host Tucker Carlson told his viewers they should openly harass anyone they see wearing masks outside and go so far as to call the police or social services on the parents of any children with masks on. Carlson, who was a proponent of mask-wearing to help stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic as recently as last March, has since become a fierce critic of face masks and other COVID-19 restrictions, guidelines, and mitigation efforts. (Baragona, 4/26)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ron Johnson Disputes Scientific Consensus On Effectiveness Of Masks
 Despite broad scientific consensus, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson cast doubt Monday on whether masks prevent the spread of COVID-19, saying he thought there would have been fewer infections and deaths if they worked. The Republican from Oshkosh said he supports wearing masks but expressed skepticism about their effectiveness. (Marley and Beck, 4/26)

The Washington Post: Vaccinated? Great. You Should Still Wear A Mask When Gathering In Public, Experts Say. 
More than 94 million Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Despite so many invigorated immune systems, the populace still needs to keep wearing masks, public health specialists say. The country is not yet so protected it can forgo face coverings. Case counts have spiked in some hot spots. Meanwhile, it’s clearer than ever that masks protect wearers as well as those nearby. (Guarino, 4/26)

Also —

Voice of America: Peru Begins Requiring Double Masks 
Peru is now mandating that people wear two face masks in places where crowding is possible like commercial buildings. The regulation, aimed at slowing a deadly second wave of the virus, began Monday, and was first reported in Peru's national newspaper, El Peruano.  (4/27)

The Washington Post: Thai Prime Minister Fined $190 For Not Wearing Mask In Covid-19 Meeting 
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was fined 6,000 baht ($190) for not wearing a mask at an emergency government meeting on Monday, according to local officials in Bangkok. “The prime minister agreed to pay the fine,” Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang wrote on Facebook on Monday, explaining that he had visited Prayuth with several senior police officers several hours after photographs of the Thai leader attending the event without a mask spread online. (Taylor, 4/26)