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Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox on Friday temporarily blocked Arkansas from enforcing Act 1002, which bans public entities from requiring masks, the Associated Press reported. CONTEXT:

Multiple lawsuits were filed challenging the ban. * In a special session this week, the legislature voted down bills that would have allowed school districts to require masks in places with

students under 12, who cannot get vaccinated against COVID-19. WHAT IT MEANS: Public schools — including any grade level and universities — can now require students, staff and faculty to

wear masks. WHY IT MATTERS: The Delta variant and the state's low vaccination rate (42% of Arkansans 12 and up are fully vaccinated) have caused another public health emergency.

Hospitals are back to seeing peak numbers. * And more kids are getting sick, with some in the ICU and on ventilators. Three Arkansas children have died since December. YES, BUT: This is a

preliminary injunction. The legal battle is not over. WHAT'S NEXT: It's up to local school boards and other public governing bodies to decide if they will implement mask mandates

while the lawsuits make their way through the courts.