The deadly rise in COVID-19 cases across the U.S. is forcing state and local officials to adjust their blueprints for fighting the virus, with Republican governors adopting mask mandates and schools scrapping plans to reopen classrooms.

The steps face blowback from those who question the science behind mask wearing and social distancing and fear the new restrictions will kill off more jobs and trample on their civil liberties.

In Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds had pushed back against a mask mandate for months but imposed a limited one Tuesday. At the same time, she said “there’s science on both sides” about whether masks reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

With Thanksgiving coming up next week, public health officials are bracing for a holiday-fueled surge. Doctors are urging families to stick to small gatherings.

Governors in Ohio, Maryland and Illinois imposed restrictions on business hours and crowd sizes Tuesday, and their counterparts in Wisconsin and Colorado proposed economic relief packages.

A DEADLY SURGE

The key measures of the country’s effectiveness in managing the pandemic are all heading in the wrong direction. Hospitalizations, deaths and cases are all skyrocketing in the U.S.

More than 73,000 people – an all-time high – were hospitalized with the virus in the U.S. as of Monday, an increase of more than 3,000 from just a day earlier, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Hospitals are running out of space, and nurses and doctors in Kansas are converting waiting areas to patient rooms and spending upwards of eight hours on the phone trying to secure beds at other hospitals.

More than 166,000 newly confirmed infections were reported Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The average number of new cases per day has more than doubled in the past few weeks.

The virus is blamed for more than 1.3 million deaths worldwide, including more than 247,000 in the U.S. Deaths per day in the U.S. have climbed to an average of 1,145, up from 828 two weeks ago.

The national death toll is on pace to keep climbing in coming days. Wisconsin reported 92 new deaths Tuesday, shattering its daily record of 66 set last week.

MORE MASK MANDATES

Since the election, Republican governors in Iowa, North Dakota and Utah have reversed course and put in place requirements on masks, and others have extended or expanded earlier orders.

Plenty of other elected officials and residents are balking at such requirements despite the surge. And some local law enforcement authorities have refused to enforce mask requirements.

In Utah, dozens of people opposed to a statewide mask mandate protested outside the home of Gov. Gary Herbert. In South Dakota, the state with the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths per capita in November, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem has no plans to issue mask requirements.

In Iowa, Reynolds cast some doubt on the science behind masks even as she imposed a limited mask rule. She noted that neighboring states with mask mandates, like Illinois and Minnesota, have seen rising numbers of cases, although not as severely as Iowa.

“Oh, there’s science on both sides and you know that. If you look, you can find whatever you want to support wherever you are at,” she said.

A more stringent mask mandate took effect Tuesday in California, where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said residents will be required to cover up outdoors, with limited exceptions.

In New Orleans, officials took the drastic step of canceling the beloved but traditionally packed Mardi Gras and Carnival parades that draw visitors from around the world because the city has a 250-person cap on outdoor crowds to limit the virus’ spread. The next Mardi Gras is Feb. 16; the parades usually run for about two weeks.

SCHOOL SHUTDOWNS

The rising infection rates are prompting some school districts to revert to remote learning or postpone a return to classroom instruction.

In South Dakota, the Rapid City-area school system plans to close all schools and move to virtual instruction Wednesday. The district’s latest data showed 94 students and 47 staff with an active case of COVID-19, while 105 staff and 676 students were in quarantine following exposure.

In metro Las Vegas, the Clark County school district postponed plans to resume partial in-class instruction and will continue with remote learning through at least the end of the calendar year.