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Health experts warned that pandemic fatigue in the United States could jeopardize recent progress against the virus. ... “I don’t know why they’re doing it but it’s certainly, from a public health standpoint, ill-advised,” the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, Anthony S. Fauci, said in an interview with CNN on Thursday. Citing what he said was a high baseline for case numbers, Fauci called the decision to pull back on precautions “inexplicable.” (Cunningham, 3/5)

Despite President Biden’s sharp criticism of Texas and Mississippi for abruptly removing mask mandates, states and cities are aggressively going their own ways on Covid-19 restrictions as they decide when and how to reopen their economies. The change in presidents has brought nearly diametrical federal responses to the pandemic, but the country is facing a patchwork of rules, state to state and city to city, similar to what was seen when the virus arrived a year ago and during the last months of the Trump administration. (Bosman, Shear and Epstein, 3/4)

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Tex.) made a surprising announcement on Tuesday: His state would entirely scale back its restrictions aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus, including the mandate that Texans wear face coverings. Shortly afterward, Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) made a similar announcement. The announcements were puzzling. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had on Monday cautioned states about being overeager to rescind containment measures, given that data indicated that the sharp decrease in cases over the past few weeks had stalled. Shortly after Abbott’s announcement, President Biden offered another reason for patience: millions more vaccine doses will soon be available. (Bump, 3/4)

Leaders and businesses across the US are pushing back against states lifting mask mandates by doubling down on their commitment to enforcing Covid-19 precautions as variants continue to cause concern. This week, Texas and Mississippi joined the list of states expanding business capacity and lifting the mandates for residents to wear masks. A representative for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that the mandates were no longer necessary, but a restoration of livelihoods and normalcy was urgent. (Holcombe, 3/5)

Working the door at a business in Texas that still requires masks against Covid-19 could be hazardous to your health — and not just because of the virus, top security experts said Thursday. Gov. Greg Abbott’s sudden decision this week to lift the mask mandate and other coronavirus restrictions has undermined the ability of these companies to enforce their own rules for protecting staffers and customers, they said. (Siemaszko, 3/4)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Thursday defended his decision to eliminate a statewide mask mandate amid an avalanche of criticism over the decision. Abbott said in an interview with Fox News that officials in Austin are still advocating that Texans wear face coverings and that the state's residents are more aware now of how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Axelrod, 3/4)

The debate over Gov. Greg Abbott’s lifting of the statewide mask mandate has roared through Texas, most vocally within the restaurant industry. Texas restaurants looking for answers on how to negotiate mask and other safety measures come March 10 got new guidance Thursday when the Texas Restaurant Association updated its best practices advice, called the Texas Restaurant Promise. The association is suggesting that all restaurant employees continue to wear face coverings while working and pass a health screening before each shift. Additionally, it recommends social distancing when seating parties, and cleaning, disinfecting, and hand hygiene practices. (Morago, 3/4)

Five states -- Texas, Mississippi, Iowa, Montana and North Dakota -- have ended, or soon will end, statewide mask mandates, despite the looming threat of COVID-19 and highly transmissible variants. They're joining 11 other states -- Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee -- that never required face coverings statewide. (Lenthang, 3/4)

Alabama's governor said Thursday she is extending the state's mask mandate until April 9. "After April the 9th I will not keep the mask order in effect," Gov. Kay Ivey said at a news conference. "We've kept the mask mandate in place for more than a generous period of time because it's helped," she said. "We've seen dramatic results and real progress being made." (Shapiro, 3/4)

West Virginia has no plans to lift its mask mandate, Gov. Jim Justice (R) told CNN on Thursday, adding, "I don't know what the rush is, and if we don't watch out, we can make some mistakes." Texas and Mississippi, both led by Republican governors, are ending coronavirus restrictions as vaccinations ramp up across the country. Ditching the public safety measures could hasten another surge in coronavirus cases. (Rummier, 3/4)