Coronavirus USA: What is the statewide mask mandate and where has it been applied?

Confirmed coronavirus cases have doubled in the United States over the past six weeks with the total number passing four million on 23 July. Deaths and hospitalizations are also increasing in many states, forcing local authorities to adopt drastic measures in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19. The numbers are causing alarm among health experts and numerous states are introducing regulations to make it mandatory to wear a mask in public, something millions of Americans are reluctant to do. 

As cases increase and reach record-high numbers in some areas, over half of the states in the country have introduced mask mandates as of Monday 27 July.

On 1 May, Illinois made it mandatory to wear a mask in public where social distancing is difficult. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced this week that his state will require masks as of Monday following a record 24-hour number of Covid-19 cases on Thursday 23 July.

With Covid-19 cases spiking across the US, 29 states and the District of Columbia have instituted or announced statewide orders requiring people to wear a face mask in public. President Donald Trump, who was reluctant to wear a mask at the beginning of the pandemic, has recently changed tack and said it is an important measure to try and prevent the spread of the virus. 

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US states with a mask mandate:

States that do not yet require a mask mandate as of Thursday 23 July  include: Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.