Arkansas becomes the latest state to lift its mask mandate, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces

• Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday the state's mask mandate would expire at the end of March.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas announced Tuesday that the state's mask mandate would expire at the end of March, the local news station KHBS reported.

Cities within the state will be allowed to issue their own mandates, and the governor urged citizens to respect businesses' decisions to require masks.

"The use of the mask will not cease," the governor said. The state has had a mask mandate since July.

The move came a day after President Joe Biden pleaded with states to either maintain or reinstate mask mandates.

Arkansas joins six other states - Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming - in lifting mask mandates.