Multiple governors drop mask mandates as CDC rewrites guidance

Several state governors this week scrambled to drop the mask mandates they had unilaterally imposed last year following reissued CDC guidance stating that vaccinated individuals largely do not have to wear them.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday announced the rollback of his mask mandate, stating that current case numbers compelled him to “move up the timeline for lifting mitigation measures in Virginia.”

“Virginians have been working hard, and we are seeing the results in our strong vaccine numbers and dramatically lowered case counts,” Northam claimed. 

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday also announced the impending removal of his own mask mandate.

“Our long, hard-fought battle against the worst global pandemic in more than a century is finally nearing an end,” Hogan declared in the announcement, also announcing the end to the capacity limits he had imposed on the state.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper also declared on Friday he would remove his mask mandate “for most settings” in the state. 

“We can take this step today because the science shows our focus on getting people vaccinated is working,” Cooper said.