Fully vaccinated workers in workplaces in Anchorage, separated from the public and unvaccinated colleagues, no longer need to wear masks, city officials announced on Tuesday.
The change in the Anchorage mask’s mandate occurs when an increasing proportion of residents received the COVID-19 vaccine. As of Tuesday, 40.1% of people in Anchorage aged 16 or over had been vaccinated with at least one dose.
The move represents a balance between vaccine progress and the use of masks as a critical tool in reducing COVID-19, according to a statement sent by email from Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson.
The city’s previous masking order required all employees to wear masks when they were around other people.
But now, employees who are fully vaccinated – that is, two weeks after the second injection of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – do not need to wear a mask if they are away from public officials and not vaccinated.
“Employers are responsible for checking their employees’ vaccination status in a manner consistent with anti-discrimination laws in the workplace,” the statement said.
Order changes took effect at noon on Tuesday. Masks are still needed in closed public places and at open-air public meetings, officials said.