UPDATE 1-U.S. restaurant association to nix indoor mask suggestion per CDC

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By Hilary Russ

NEW YORK, May 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. National Restaurant Association will remove a suggestion from its operating guidance for restaurants that says fully vaccinated people should still wear masks indoors, following new advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.

"We still have a lot of questions for the CDC about how we need to implement their latest guidance," Larry Lynch, the NRA's Senior Vice President of Science and Industry, said in a statement sent to Reuters.

"We are in the process of updating our COVID-19 Operating Guidance where it reflects the CDC's previous language and after talking with CDC, will determine if other changes are needed."

The organization, which represents more than 500,000 U.S. restaurant companies of all sizes, still advises restaurants to follow state and local regulations and has detailed guidance on employee health, cleaning procedures, social distancing and pick-up and delivery services. (Reporting by Hilary Russ; editing by Diane Craft and Rosalba O'Brien)