Why some states are pushing back on masks amid delta variant surge

Here's why some states are fighting the CDC's recommendation that those in areas of high transmission, regardless of their vaccination status, return to wearing a mask.

It's a simple device that can save lives and keep people out of emergency rooms. But masks are once again a flashpoint after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended this week that everyone in areas with substantial or high levels of transmission, regardless of their vaccination status, return to wearing a mask in public, indoor settings and in schools, amid a concerning rise in the delta variant. Despite a rise in cases and hospitalizations, several states are pushing back against the CDC's new guidelines -- which have changed dramatically over the past few weeks. Some governors have balked at what they've criticized as a whiplash reversion to overly draconian measures, vowing no mask mandate would succeed in their state. The CDC's reversal comes just two months after it announced it would no longer recommend masking for vaccinated Americans, and just as the nation was breathing a collective sigh of relief at the precipitous fall of cases and hospitalizations due to the rollout of mass vaccinations.