Ducey orders schools to offer in-person classes; ASU expert urges caution about lifting mask rules

As some states are loosening or lifting mask mandates, the executive director of Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute said Wednesday that it’s “an odd time” to do so. “States are hovering at a higher (case rate) level than they were at when people reached a low earlier in the fall,” Dr. Joshua LaBaer told reporters. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday announced an end to the statewide mask mandate, saying businesses will return to operating at full capacity March 10. “It is…