http://syn2.thecanadianpress.com:8080/mrss/feed/fcf7391a2f354311807f0501c16bde6a MSN - AP World Copyright © 2010-2018 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved. http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Sun, 06 Jul 2025 22:00:42 +0000 http://syn2.thecanadianpress.com:8080/mrss/feed/fcf7391a2f354311807f0501c16bde6a/2b2551d76ed544e5952528bd321afb89 The Anchorage City Assembly passed an emergency mask ordinance on Tuesday as COVID-19 cases surge in Alaska’s largest city. (Oct. 14) 2b2551d76ed544e5952528bd321afb89 Thu, 14 Oct 2021 19:56:20 +0000 SHOTLIST:RESTRICTION SUMMARY: PART MUST CREDIT MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGEASSOCIATED PRESSAnchorage, Alaska – 13 October 20211. Wide, downtown Anchorage, Alaska, with Cook Inlet in the foreground and the Chugach Mountains behindHEADLINE:  Anchorage imposes mask mandate amid COVID surgeMUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE - MUST CREDIT MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGEAnchorage, Alaska – 12 October 20212. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Constant, Anchorage Assembly member: "The enemy is not your neighbor. The enemy is not us. The enemy is this virus, and the answer to this problem is to fight this virus together."3. Wide, assembly chamber UPSOUND: (English) Jamie Allard, Anchorage Assembly member: "I encourage you to vote no. And I feel this is going to have strong backlash and I will also put on record I will not comply."ASSOCIATED PRESSAnchorage, Alaska – 13 October 20214. Various of downtown tourist store.ANNOTATION: The Anchorage City Assembly passed an emergency mask ordinance on Tuesday as COVID-19 cases surge in Alaska's largest city.5. SOUNDBITE  Kai (Kye') Fugere (FEW-sher), Anchorage resident: "I think so, I think keeping the city open and keeping it so that people can come in and enjoy the city is the most important thing for tourism. I know, like locals don't like to hear that, you know, masks are going to help contribute to making that a possibility. But at the end of the day, we have to take the steps in order for our community to be protected and still operating while keeping our health care structure in place."6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lars Wulfgar, Anchorage resident: "I don't believe federal, state or local government should mandate mask wearing. It's up to the individual."7. "Masks are voluntary" sign on pizzeria.STORYLINE:The governing body of Alaska's largest city has passed an emergency ordinance instituting a mask ordinance.The Anchorage Assembly passed the motion ordinance late Tuesday, and it replaces an earlier proposal that dragged on for weeks amid heated public testimony, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Alaska began an upward trend of cases in early summer, according to state data, and by late September had the highest per-capita rate of cases, per Johns Hopkins University. The state has placed 20 hospitals statewide, including all three in Anchorage, into crises protocol, meaning they could ration care if needed.The original proposal was not scheduled at Tuesday's regular meeting; it was to have been heard at a special meeting Wednesday. But it was brought up as an emergency ordinance instead on Tuesday and passed 9-1. At least nine votes are needed to pass an emergency ordinance, and a public hearing is not required.Assembly member Jamie Allard, who opposed the original mask mandate, participated in the meeting by phone. She initially voted against the emergency ordinance in a 9-2 vote, but the vote had to be taken again because of a procedural error. She did not participate in the second vote.Allard said the new ordinance would draw "strong backlash" and that government officials "should never push our medical advice on anybody.""I will not comply," she said.The ordinance requires all people to wear masks or face coverings in indoor public areas. It is in effect for 60 days or until at least two Anchorage hospitals stop operating under crisis of care standards for consecutive days or when the city is no longer experiencing substantial or high community transmission for 14 straight days.  Exemptions to the mask mandate include children under the age of 5, people who can't wear masks because of mental or physical disabilities, churches and those participating in athletic activities. Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, who opposed mask mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions, and his executive team are exempt."This is not about getting the mayor to wear a mask. This is about our community's health," said Meg Zaletel, one of the Assembly members who brought the ordinance to the body."Please know, there are no fines, no fees and no punishments for violating this ordinance. It's just one more effort by our Assembly to force the citizens of Anchorage to do their will without hearing from everyone who wanted to testify or participate in the public process. The Anchorage Assembly has continued to break the public's trust," Bronson said in a statement Wednesday announcing he had vetoed the measure.The Assembly has scheduled a Thursday meeting to consider overriding the veto, which they can do with eight votes. Neither Bronson nor most of his administration attended Tuesday's meeting, saying they were following COVID-19 protocols after both the municipal manager and municipal attorney tested positive for the virus last week.===========================================================Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. The Anchorage City Assembly passed an emergency mask ordinance on Tuesday as COVID-19 cases surge in Alaska’s largest city. (Oct. 14) Anchorage imposes mask mandate amid COVID surge