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Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that public schools can no longer require masks on their campuses starting June 5. The decision was part of a new executive order that bans government entities in Texas — like cities and counties — from mandating masks in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Starting Friday, any government entity that tries to impose a mask mandate can face a fine of up to $1,000, according to the order. The order exempts state supported living centers, government-owned or -operated hospitals, Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities, Texas Juvenile Justice Department facilities, and county and municipal jails. (Svitek, 5/18)

Under the order, governments or officials trying to institute a mask mandate could face fines up to $1,000 starting Friday. The order doesn’t go into effect for schools until after June 4, and “state-supported living centers,” government-owned or run hospitals, prisons and jails are exempt from the ban. Abbott’s move is the latest among similar state bans on local mask mandates, following orders from Republican governors this month in Florida and South Carolina. According to the Florida Department of Education, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ May 3 order does not apply to public schools — just local governments — while South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s May 11 order applies to both schools and local governments. DeSantis’ order also suspended local pandemic restrictions. (Leonard, 5/18)

Oregon will allow people to go maskless outside but will require them to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — and be able to prove it — to forgo masks in most public indoor settings. That’s according to new guidance released by the Oregon Health Authority on Tuesday. (Goldberg, 5/18)

The top infectious diseases expert in the US, Anthony Fauci, has said the new federal guidance on mask-wearing is “not a mandate to take your mask off”, amid continuing confusion about last week’s mask announcement. In an interview with the Pod Save America podcast, Fauci said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted mask restrictions for fully vaccinated people last week to assure vaccinated people about the effectiveness of vaccines. (Holpuch, 5/18)

When President Biden took office, he vowed to empower the scientists and medical officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after the revered agency saw its morale and credibility sink under former President Trump. The CDC has made significant strides to restore its reputation in the first few months of the Biden administration, according to experts who work closely with it, but the agency has had a rocky few weeks that has put a spotlight on its leadership and its relationship with the White House. (Samuels and Weixel, 5/19)

Lifting mask mandates represents a monumental step toward a pre-pandemic public life and confidence in the United States' vaccine-driven offensive against the coronavirus, but the move is not being met with enthusiasm everywhere. "I would have preferred to wait," says Dr. Jeff Duchin, the health officer for Public Health — Seattle & King County, which serves more than 2 million people in the Seattle metro area. (Stone, 5/19)

More stores announced this week they are easing their mask requirements, joining a growing number of top chains changing their policies in the wake of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated guidance on masks. These retailers' new policies vary slightly from each other, but all represent a shift from their previous policies that required shoppers to wear masks across stores. Each of the retailers said they will continue to require masks at stores where local or state ordinances require facial coverings. (Meyersohn, 5/18)

“It’s a Public Health 101 failure,” said David Michaels, an epidemiologist who led Occupational Safety and Health Administration during the Obama administration who is now a professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health. “By giving advice to vaccinated people, but ignoring the fact that many or most people in many settings will not be vaccinated, the CDC is causing confusion and setting back our efforts to stop this pandemic.” The White House is in the last stages of finalizing emergency Covid-19 workplace safety rules from OSHA, which unions, management-side attorneys and workplace safety experts broadly expected to include a mask mandate — until the administration’s latest changes to its guidelines last week. (Rainey, 5/19)