North Carolina is one of only three states in the South to require face masks
The coronavirus is spreading at an alarming rate across the South as some states see record numbers of hospitalizations.
Yet few governors in the region have issued a mask mandate.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper became the third on Wednesday, behind Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam — both of whom instituted statewide face covering requirements in May.
Health experts say masks are an important tool in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
An updated forecast from the University of Washington predicted tens of thousands of lives would be saved if 95% of the U.S. population wore masks, McClatchy News reported.
An analysis of 16 states where face coverings are not mandatory showed coronavirus cases rising by 84% over the last two weeks, McClatchy News reported, citing a study by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“Masks, masks and more masks need to be emphasized,” Dr. Myron Cohen, an infectious disease expert with UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine, told reporters Wednesday, The News & Observer reported.
Many governors across the United States, including in the South, say they encourage face masks but stop short of issuing mandates.
In South Carolina, for example, Gov. Henry McMaster said it comes down to “personal responsibility.”
In the absence of statewide rules, several cities and counties in the South have instituted their own facial covering requirement, according to Masks4All, a group dedicated to making masks mandatory across the U.S.
The city council in Columbia, the state capital of South Carolina, passed a measure this week to require masks.
Meanwhile, a surge in coronavirus cases landed some states on a travel-advisory list this week.
Governors in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut say travelers from nine states — six of which are in the South — must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
The advisory affects travelers from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Utah, Texas and Washington.
Here’s where each state in the South stands on the face mask issue.
Alabama: Residents are encouraged to wear masks in public under Gov. Kay Ivey’s reopening guidelines, but no formal mandate has been issued.
“Governor Ivey respects the individual choice of citizens to wear a mask or not, just as she respects that of businesses or local entities to require it,” the governor’s spokesperson told Newsweek earlier this month.
Arkansas: Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued new mask-wearing guidelines last week but has stopped short of requiring face coverings in public, saying he would not support a statewide measure, Red Rock Radio reported.
“Face covering should be worn in all indoor settings where you’re exposed to non-household members and physical distancing of six feet or more cannot be assured,” Hutchinson said during a daily press briefing, according to the radio station.
Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis has said “he supports wearing masks but not requiring them,” The Miami Herald reported.
“We’ve just got to trust people that you’ll give them an opportunity to do the good things to make good decisions,’’ he said. “I think that that tends to work better than to mandate this, mandate that.”
In the interim, Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees has issued a public health advisory recommending people wear face masks in public, according to the Herald.
Georgia: Gov. Brian Kemp requires waiters, barbers and other people who work “face-to-face with customers” to wear a face covering but has largely left businesses to decide for themselves what customers should do, The Associated Press reported.
Kentucky: Gov. Andy Beshear made face coverings mandatory ahead of most states in the South. As of May 11, masks were required in all public spaces, The Lexington Herald-Leader reported.
“This isn’t something you can be fined for, and again no one is going to be arrested for not wearing a mask,” Beshear said in making the announcement. “But should you if you’re going to the grocery store? Yes. Think about it: None of us knows if we are infected but asymptomatic with this virus. This protects you and other people.”
Louisiana: Gov. John Bel Edwards has encouraged residents to wear a mask but has not issued a formal mandate. His current order requires employees who frequently interact with customers to wear a face covering, the Beauregard Daily News reported.
Edwards also signed an executive order Thursday delaying the state from moving into Phase 3 of reopening, according to the newspaper.
“The numbers make it crystal clear why we’re not (moving to Phase 3),” he said. “We’re just not ready. The trends are very concerning.”
Mississippi: There is no mask mandate in Mississippi under Gov. Tate Reeves’ leadership, The Biloxi Sun Herald reported. But State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs has warned hospitals risk being overrun if nothing changes.
“He believes an executive order mandating masks in retail stores might be needed,” according to the Sun Herald.
Masks are currently only required “in businesses where close contact is unavoidable, such as hair salons and doctor’s offices,” the Sun Herald reported.
North Carolina: N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper made face coverings mandatory in public starting Friday, and he said he state would not continue into Phase 3 of reopening, The News & Observer reported.
“I urge everyone to be a leader in wearing face coverings,” Cooper said. “I encourage businesses to be strong in enforcing it. Slowing the spread helps our economy, and these face coverings do that.”
Oklahoma: Gov. Kevin Stitt has backed away from forcing residents to wear a face covering in public, calling it a “personal preference” in late May, The Oklahoman reported.
“If you feel safer in a mask, then we definitely encourage you to do that,” he said, according to the newspaper. “If you can remain social(ly) distance(d), we don’t think you necessarily need to have a mask, but that’s a personal preference.”
South Carolina: State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said Wednesday a statewide mask requirement would likely “be more effective in slowing the spread of the coronavirus,” The State reported.
But S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster has been reluctant to enact such a rule, “preferring to encourage people to take personal responsibility for their health and the health of others,” according to the newspaper.
Tennessee: Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee Health Department started an initiative to provide free cloth face masks to the public, WATE reported, but no statewide mandate requiring they be worn in public has been issued.
Texas: Cities and counties are free to issue their own ordinance requiring masks in public but there is no statewide mandate from Gov. Greg Abbott, the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported.
Abbott has also said moving to shut down the state again will be a last resort, according to the Star Telegram.
“I know that some people feel that wearing a mask is inconvenient or it’s like an infringement of freedom, but I also know that wearing a mask will help us to keep Texas open,” he said Monday.
Virginia: A mandatory mask order went into effect at the end of May at the behest of Gov. Ralph Northam with some exemptions, The Virginian-Pilot reported.
“While the use of cloth face coverings has been recommended during the COVID-19 outbreak, as of May 29, 2020, the Commonwealth of Virginia now requires that people wear cloth face coverings when spending time in indoor public settings,” the state Department of Health says on its website. “Face coverings are not needed for going outside to take a walk or work in your garden.”
West Virginia: Gov. Jim Justice has acknowledged rising case numbers in the state but said he “is not prepared” to issue a mask requirement, the West Virginia Gazette-Mail reported Monday.
“Nobody wants to get into the situation where you make the wearing of masks mandatory,” Justice said during his daily COVID-19 briefing, according to the newspaper. “We’re going to divide people.”
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 3:54 PM with the headline "North Carolina is one of only three states in the South to require face masks."
