.

On Feb. 10, 2021 the CDC released a report and updated guidance highlighting that two methods substantially boost fit and protection:

Both of those methods reduced exposure to potentially infectious aerosols by more than 95 percent in a laboratory experiment using dummies.

Previously in November, the CDC officially recommended use of such masks, now reenforced and expanded by the incoming Biden Administration (Jan. 21, 2021). As widely agreed, masks can prevent person-to-person COVID infections and literally save lives in any local or neighborhood setting, worldwide. The device can be a simple manufactured or do-it-yourself one, using age-old, low-tech cloth material (including multilayer cloth or as a fallback, a temporary cotton bandana or scarf.) With commercially sewn or home-made face coverings now encouraged worldwide (often free or costing a few dollars), billions of people globally can protect themselves. ¹  
> Read more about the science, scarcity and economics of face coverings, p. 10 and sources, p. 11-12.

-UPDATE- THE BIDEN FEDERAL INITIATIVE.  Beginning Inauguration Week, on January 21, 2021, President Biden issued both binding requirements and expanded guidelines affecting broad use of face masks. The report states:

 

STATES AND LOCALS FIRST IN THE LEAD: In the U.S., as of mid-January 2021 there are now at least 45 states and territories, as well as local and regional jurisdictions, that have acted on the medically indicated need to make mask/face covering use a mandatory, legal requirement, not just a recommendation. Evolved over a 10-month period, about 35

states’ orders are broadly aimed at protecting individuals in public settings and/or employees in public-use buildings. Others are focused or limited to certain specified employees or professions. One calculation shows that by August about 285 million or 85 percent of the nation’s population were in states and/or local areas with such orders. ^v  Of these, 251 million (or 75 percent) were covered by statewide orders.[iv] Another 34 million were counties and cities with mainly local mandatory orders. Exemptions by age and health, plus uncounted travelers, make actual totals vary. For 2021, note that three states have rescinded required use.
    These differences became more distinct and urgent with the phased reopening of businesses and federal, state and local orders allowing indoor dining and group gatherings.  For these next phases, the broader, near-universal use of masks in “appropriate settings” is seen as a low-cost tool that supports community interaction and freedom of movement. Compared to lockdowns and “stay-at-home” orders, required masks, combined with required 6-foot social distancing and handwashing became the three tools that allow businesses and recreation to reopen more safely.  More recently, some states have added enforcement and even fines for non-compliance.[v]
 

This report is a review of latest available data on states and other jurisdictions that have moved to increase the use of masks and cloth face coverings, especially describing those with mandatory or required uses. The lists below include links to sources and citations, but the document itself is not intended as legal or medical advice. Some mandatory use plans have pending expiration dates or may be rescinded due to opposition. Because all policies are subject to change, sometimes on short notice, readers should note listed dates and also rely on source web links to identify future updates. 

 

 

STATES: Mandated Masks / Cloth Face Coverings in Public

 

This table integrates author research, National Governors Association (NGA)[vi], ASTHO ¹⁰, Masks4All [vii], AARP[viii], AMA, and a university-based collaboration that measures 30 policy or legal actions by states. This report only covers face masks and cloth coverings. [ix]* Excerpts accessed regularly 4/28 – 2/1/2021. Dates reflect historical key steps points, not latest policy. For legal text, links and details, see pp. 3-9.  The category “essential businesses” now also includes individuals or employees in public-facing businesses, with exceptions for safety and medical conditions. [x]^,

Updates added 3/25/2021