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The Transportation Security Administration will extend its US federal transportation mask mandate through January 18, the agency confirmed late Tuesday afternoon. The mandate was set to expire on September 13. TSA said the purpose of the mask directive is “to minimize the spread of Covid-19 on public transportation,” and the extension comes as Covid-19 cases have skyrocketed in the United States in recent weeks because of the spread of the Delta variant. (Wallace, 8/17)

U.S. airlines are increasingly divided over whether to require their flight attendants, pilots and other employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19. United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines this month said their U.S. employees, a total of some 73,000 people, must get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Alaska Airlines said it’s considering a similar mandate for its some 20,000 employees if the Food and Drug Administration gives one of the vaccines full approval, a step that’s expected next month. (Josephs, 8/17)

In the latest move aimed at impeding the spread of the coronavirus, Los Angeles County will require face coverings for anyone attending large outdoor events — such as concerts, festivals and sports games — regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19. The order, which goes into effect at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, applies to outdoor events that attract crowds of more than 10,000 people. In those cases, attendees must “wear face masks at all times, except when actively eating or drinking,” the order states. That’s further defined as “the limited time during which the mask can be removed briefly to eat or drink, after which it must be immediately put back on.” (Money and Lin II, 8/17)

If health care workers at state-licensed facilities in Rhode Island aren’t fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Oct. 1, and they don’t have an approved exemption, they won’t be allowed in the building, according to regulations the Department of Health put out Tuesday. The formal regulations are more stringent than Governor Dan McKee’s administration had originally explained when they were unveiled a week ago. (Amaral, 8/17)

Dragon Con, the largest sci-fi convention in Atlanta, today is joining a raft of other events and music venues by requiring COVID-19 vaccinations or a recent negative test to take part. “From the start, we have committed to hosting a convention that would help protect our fans from the spread of COVID while staying true to the traditions that make Dragon Con fun and memorable,” said convention co-chair Rachel Reeves. “As the number of COVID related cases continues to climb, it becomes clear that we need to update our health and safety protocols in order to keep that commitment.” (Ho, 8/17)