As the U. S. sees a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, mask orders are back in the headlines, prompting Republican governors to vow they will save his return.
Data from the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionU. S. data shows a 15. 7% increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations between Aug. 20 and Aug. 26, through last week. While those hospitalizations are still particularly below 2021 peaks, the CDC recently issued a warning about a new variant of the coronavirus, BA. 2. 86, which it says “may be more capable of causing infection in others who have already had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines. “
Newsweek reached out to the CDC email for further comment.
In reaction to the news about COVID-19, some schools and hospitals have announced the return of mandatory masks for a certain period of time, but Republican governors have spoken out against any return to mask wearing in their states.
Newsweek has compiled a list and map of all states that oppose the return of mask orders, as well as places that have implemented mask requirements.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed a law prohibiting any business from enforcing mask-wearing mandates in the state.
“In collaboration with the Texas Legislature, Governor Abbott signed a law this year codifying his 2021 executive orders, which prohibit any government entity from issuing mask or vaccine guarantees and closing businesses or schools due to COVID,” an Abbott spokesperson told Newsweek last time. .
“Thanks to Governor Abbott and the work of the Texas legislature, Texas has closed the door on COVID-related restrictions,” the spokesperson said.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on August 31, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, “As long as I’m governor, Arkansas will be blocked. “
He continued, “We will never force you or your children to wear a mask. And we will never, ever have a COVID-19 vaccination mandate. “
As long as he is governor, Arkansas will likely not be blocked. We will not close schools, churches or businesses. And we may not have a mask or vaccine requirement COVID. pic. twitter. com/nj4ONer122
Gov. Tate Reeves opposes any return to masking mandates in his state, stating, “The rest of Mississippi will not submit or submit to fear. . . We will not go back to widespread masking or COVID-related rules. “
Gov. Ron DeSantis has opposed mask mandates and COVID-19 restrictions since 2020, and at a recent press conference, doubled down on that position by saying, “You now have the civil right in Florida to breathe air. No one can force you to do so. muzzle in opposition to your consent. “
DeSantis also said fitness officials and the CDC are “again” looking to inspire mask mandates and COVID-19 restrictions, adding that “what we in the state of Florida will say is, ‘no, we’re going to let you get out of this again. ”'”
On Sept. 1, Gov. Kevin Stitt said Oklahoma “imposed no mandates or closures in 2020 and we are starting now. “
“Oklahoma will have freedom over worries every day of the week,” he said in a message to X.
We did not impose mandates or blockades in 2020 and we are not going to start now. Oklahoma will prevail freedom over worry each and every day of the semana. pic. twitter. com/NXr2AyE5dL
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster spoke Thursday to citizens about the possible lifting of court orders for masks across the United States and vowed to oppose such a measure in his state.
“I can assure South Africans that we may not have mandates requiring masks, that we will not close schools, that we will not do a lot of stupid things that have been done in other states. “said in X. ” We probably wouldn’t have mask mandates. “
Earlier this week, Gov. Spencer Cox and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services announced there were no plans in the state to require masks again.
“While we anticipate a buildup of COVID-19 in the upcoming respiratory virus season, @utahdhhs has no plans, either now or in the long term, to adopt a mask mandate in Utah,” the branch said in a message to X.
Cox echoed that statement, saying, “We have no goal of enacting an injunction in Utah. “
!️ We have no plans to adopt a mandate in Utah. https://t. co/kmwKNcjIRm
On Wednesday night, Huntington Beach City Council members voted in favor of a declaration banning universal mandates in the city.
“The city prohibits broad universal mandates on masks and vaccines by noting that it is a ‘city without a mask, without a vaccine mandate,'” Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark, who proposed the statement, said at the meeting.
In New York State, United Health Services, Auburn Community Hospital and Upstate Medical’s Hospitals announced that the mask will be for staff, patients and visitors.
In California, health care company Kaiser Permanente is also requiring its employees and patients to wear masks in reaction to the latest news about COVID-19.
Rosemary Hills Elementary School in Maryland this week sent a letter to parents issuing a mask-wearing mandate for students and staff for 10 days. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the County Public School District told Newsweek that the mandate was for an elegance in kindergarten at elementary school and would end on Sept. 11.
Kinterbish High School in Alabama announced Aug. 21 that students will be required to wear masks indefinitely.
Also in Alabama, Dallas County government implemented a mask policy in three buildings.
Eviction Judge Jimmy Nunn announced the policy this week, saying, “At this time, it has only gone into effect on government buildings that the public enters. And those will be the 3 buildings that we will have: the courthouse, the annex and the administrative building. These 3 buildings that the public enters and we supply the public.