Democratic governors are trying to move on from a pandemic that’s still happening

As an exhausted nation continues to grapple with the coronavirus, Democrats are facing growing public pressure to move on to the pandemic’s next phase even as high case rates, hospitalizations, and death rates persist.

This week, several Democratic governors responded by rolling back their state’s mask mandates.

Leaders in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Oregon announced changes to such policies in schools, while those in New York, Illinois, Nevada, and California did the same for indoor mask requirements.

“This is a huge step back to normalcy for our kids,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on Monday.

Such...