'Steady increase' in vaccines in past month, White House says

Masks once again will be required while indoors at Disney World, regardless of vaccination status, the company announced Wednesday, as Florida has quickly become a COVID-19 hotspot.

Starting Friday, face coverings will be required for all guests ages 2 and up while indoors, including upon entering and throughout all attractions.

They are also required while riding Disney transportation.

Masks are still optional in outdoor common areas, the company said.

The theme park had initially dropped its mask requirement for vaccinated guests last month.

The updated rule will also go into effect Friday at Disneyland in California.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an order Wednesday requiring everyone to wear masks indoors in public places, as the city is experiencing "substantial" COVID-19 transmission.

"Public health experts overwhelmingly agree, and data has proved, that wearing a face covering helps slow the spread of this deadly virus," Bottoms said in a statement. “As COVID-19 rates increase, we must remain vigilant, wear a mask, follow CDC guidelines and other measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities."

The order includes exceptions while eating and drinking and for children under the age of 10, among others. It does not say those who have been vaccinated are exempt.

Those who continue to fail to comply after an initial warning could face up to a $50 civil penalty, according to the order. 

The city's order comes as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp took to Twitter Wednesday to say he won't issue a statewide mask mandate and urged people to "get vaccinated as quickly as possible." Just over 45% of Georgia residents ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last year, Kemp, a Republican, filed a lawsuit against Bottoms, a Democrat, for requiring face coverings and other pandemic measures that were more restrictive than his own executive orders. The lawsuit was eventually dropped.

The Department of Defense said Wednesday that, effective immediately, masks are required for everyone in the Pentagon, regardless of vaccination status.

The updated mask guidance applies to all service members, federal employees, onsite contractor employees and visitors to "installations and other facilities owned, leased or otherwise controlled by DoD in the Pentagon Reservation," the department said in a statement.

The Department of Defense had said on May 14 that fully vaccinated people no longer needed to wear masks at any of its facilities.

In its weekly virus forecast, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that U.S. COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and daily deaths will increase over the next four weeks.

Daily fatalities have increased by 30.7% in the last week.

Over 32,000 patients are now hospitalized across the country with COVID-19, a 43.2% jump in the last week. One month ago, just under 12,000 COVID-19 patients were receiving care across the country.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos