The 11 blue states announcing ends to mask mandates

More Democratic governors are lifting masking requirements as the omicron wave subsides.

The governors, who have been hawkish on maintaining COVID-19 restrictions, are acutely aware that the public is eager to ditch masks and return to a sense of normalcy now that the pandemic has shown signs of calming. They are moving toward the policies of red states that have avoided mandates and restrictions for months even before the omicron wave hit and then subsided. The following is a list of blue states that announced changes to their mandatory mask policies in recent days.