Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Feb. 10 became the latest Democrat governor to ease or remove mask mandates in recent days, despite federal health officials’ recommendation to keep masking in most settings.

School mask mandates in New Jersey and Delaware will be lifted next month, the governors of both states said on Feb. 7.

The Virginia Supreme Court rejected on Feb. 7 a lawsuit that challenged Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s order barring mask mandates in state schools.

A judge has granted a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit that sought to end mask mandates in Illinois schools, effectively blocking the masking requirement and other mitigation measures, prompting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office to declare it will appeal.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Oct. 21 called for a special legislative session to consider bills countering vaccine and mask mandates.

The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has opened investigations in five Republican-led states that ban mask mandates in schools, saying such policy could be discriminatory against students with disabilities.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) announced on Tuesday that she will reimpose a statewide mandate for masks to be worn in all indoor public settings to address a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations driven by the delta variant.

Louisiana announced on Monday it is reimposing indoor mask mandates regardless of vaccination status, becoming the first U.S. state to do so after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) altered its recommendation to say that vaccinated people should also wear masks in some indoor areas.