United States COVID Mask MandatesUnited States COVID Mask Mandates

Creator: Lillian Hutton ’22 International Relations and History

This map depicts whether a state has mandated masks throughout the entire state and the date of that order. As of November 2020, most states have some sort of requirement for masks, but many still do not have statewide mandates. In states where the Governor has not implemented a statewide mask mandate, individual counties or cities have mask requirements. Additionally, in places where masks are not mandatory, businesses have taken upon themselves to enforce maskuse to enter the establishment. There are also states, like Kansas, where although there is a statewide mask mandate, it is scarcely enforced, with 90 out of the 105 counties opting out of the state mandate. South Dakota is the only state with no requirements at all. This data is important for predicting which states are likely to mandate the Coronavirus vaccine once it is approved by the FDA. Vaccines and masks are both public health measures for protection of the greater population. Each have groups opposed to them, anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers, respectively, who feel that either masks or vaccines inhibit their personal liberties or negatively affect their health. However, both measures are scientifically proven to protect public health and reduce the risk of contracting disease. It will be a while until there are mandates for the coronavirus vaccine, as there are not enough safety trials and evident to prove its effectiveness and safety in children; the main population where vaccines are mandated. All 50 states have legislation for required vaccines for students.

Work Cited:
MapHubbard, Kaia. “These States Have COVID-19 Mask Mandates.” U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, 2020. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/these-are-the-states-with-mask-mandates.

“What U.S. States Require Masks In Public? (Updated Daily).” #Masks4All, July 30, 2020. https://masks4all.co/what-states-require-masks/.