Texas Gov. Greg Abbott banned mask mandates. Nevertheless, Austin persisted.

Austin keeps mask mandate
(Image credit: Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

U.S. COVID-19 cases are on the rise again, increasing by about 12 percent over the past week, and U.S. health officials are warning of a fourth wave of the pandemic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said Monday she fears "impending doom," and President Biden urged states and local governments to keep or reinstate mask mandates. "Please, this is not politics," Biden said. "A failure to take this virus seriously — precisely what got us into this mess in the first place — risks more cases and more deaths."

"A lot of states and cities are pulling back on mask mandates," Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden's chief medical adviser, told Politico. "And what we're really trying to say is just hang on a bit longer."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.