As the number of COVID-19 infections surges and the U.S. public grows weary of pandemic-related restrictions, officials across the U.S. are again weighing how and whether to make face masks mandatory.

Much of the debate revolves around schools across the country, some of which are closed due to staffing issues related to the infection. In many places, mask mandates are being withdrawn or rejected.

The changes come as the federal government assesses the supply of medical-grade respirators, such as N95 or KN95 masks. At a Wednesday briefing, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said officials were “strongly considering options for more high-quality masks for all Americans,” noting that the administration has an inventory of more than 750 million N95 masks .

Dr. Rochelle Varensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the best masks “are the ones you’ll wear, the ones you can wear all day, the ones you can tolerate in a public indoor setting. kind.”

On Monday, officials in the Wyoming state capital voted to end the mask-wearing rule imposed on students and teachers since September. The Cheyenne School District has also lowered COVID-19 isolation requirements, voting to require that only those with symptoms and testing positive — not just those exposed — stay home for five days and then wear a mask for five days.

On Tuesday, the University of Missouri Board of Governors rejected a request by the president of the university system for a temporary mask requirement on the Columbia campus, as well as rules for classrooms and labs.

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Monday’s school board meeting in Wichita, Kansas, was canceled after three new members refused to wear masks to the swearing-in ceremony. Meanwhile, in the Topeka region, elected officials have rejected requests to make masks mandatory, urging caution but saying they are not ready to accept the request.

Some jurisdictions are adopting firmer masking policies on their own, including requiring higher levels of masking material.

Last week, the University of Arizona announced it would require the use of medical-grade masks in indoor spaces where social distancing is not possible. The school says on its website that it no longer believes cloth masks are sufficient, although cloth masks can be worn over medical-grade masks to improve fit and increase protection.

A new indoor mask order goes into effect Wednesday in New Orleans ahead of the Mardi Gras season. Louisiana’s statewide number of daily coronavirus hospitalizations has increased sevenfold in three weeks — a surge that has put pressure on hospitals, emergency departments Wait times for rooms can sometimes be as long as 12 hours.

Health officials in Omaha, Nebraska, announced a temporary mask-wearing rule on Tuesday, but the state threatened to sue if the rule goes as planned. Omaha City Council President Pete Festersen said a majority of the city council supported the move.

“This was not a decision I made lightly. It was not an easy decision at all, and I knew it would cause some waves,” said Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse. “But it’s a tool in our toolbox. We have research, evidence that masks reduce transmission.”

Others are hesitant to reinstate requirements that ended months ago. In Michigan, state officials said record COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations could peak in late January or early February before starting to decline, but health leaders remained reluctant to resume restrictions or cover-up orders. They continue to plead for people to get vaccinated, get booster shots, wear fitted masks in public and avoid large gatherings.

Elizabeth Hertle, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, advised people to wear an N95 mask or two well-fitting face coverings. A parent group is calling for a school mask requirement, which is in place in most individual districts but not statewide.

In Utah, Republican Gov. Spencer Cox waived municipal mask mandates for the Capitol and other state facilities as lawmakers prepare to start this year’s session. Salt Lake County Democratic Mayor Jenny Wilson said the governor does not have the authority to make an exception to the policy, which requires the use of N95 and KN95 or similar masks for one month in indoor settings, including schools.