As the COVID-19 pandemic began to subside earlier this year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed their states to reopen more quickly than most. Many law firms in those states followed the governors’ advice while others bided their time. But now, nearly every firm in both states must consider the rising infection rates brought on by the more contagious Delta variant.

Just as COVID rates bottomed out in mid-June, the Delta variant arrived in the U.S., driving new COVID cases right back up in July.