Students wear face masks while practicing ballet at the School of Classical Ballet & Dance in West Des Moines, Iowa, Nov. 7, 2020. (Kathryn Gamble/The New York Times)
(CNN) — While health officials agree face masks help prevent the spread of Covid-19, state and local governments have varied widely on implementation of mask rules. Now, President-elect Joe Biden wants to change that.
Biden’s office has released plans that his administration intends to implement in the beginning of his term, and one is a national mask mandate “by working with governors and mayors.”
Most states already have some type of mask mandate, but some have no statewide rule — either leaving it as a recommendation or giving the authority to local officials.
Here are the states with no statewide mask requirement.
Alaska: Alaska does not require the use of masks, limit group size or business operations. All the state does is encourage Alaskans to do their part to limit the spread of Covid-19, recommending that residents practice social distancing and wear a mask, without any mandate. The mayor of Anchorage has signed an order requiring people to wear face coverings in public.
Arizona: Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, allows individual counties to mandate a mask, but does not have a statewide initiative. Scottsdale was the first to make masks mandatory starting June 19. Other major municipalities with requirements include Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff.
Florida: There is no statewide mask requirement.
Georgia: Statewide, masks are required for some essential employees, including restaurants and personal care services employees. Several counties and cities have mask mandates.
Idaho: The state does not have a requirement; several municipalities do, including Boise.
Iowa: No statewide requirement.
Mississippi: On September 4, Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, lifted the state face covering requirement. Just over a month later and amid rising case numbers, Reeves signed an executive order requiring face coverings in counties with higher Covid-19 case numbers. That order expires on Nov. 11.
Missouri: No statewide requirement.
Nebraska: No statewide mandate, but clients and staff in barbershops, salons, tattoo parlors and massage parlors must wear masks, as part of the current Directed Health Measure requirements.
North Dakota: No statewide requirement. Fargo has a local requirement.
Oklahoma: The city council in Oklahoma City voted in July to approve an emergency public safety ordinance requiring face coverings in indoor public places.
South Carolina: Several counties and cities, including Charleston and Columbia, have mask mandates.
South Dakota: Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, has taken a hands-off approach to Covid-19. In October, she wrote in an op-ed that the government should not mandate a mask requirement. “As I’ve said before, if folks want to wear a mask, they should be free to do so,” she wrote. “Similarly, those who don’t want to wear a mask shouldn’t be shamed into wearing one.” South Dakota is second to North Dakota in the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people.
Tennessee: No statewide mandate, but Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, signed an executive order granting the mayors in 89 counties the authority to issue mask requirements.
Wyoming: No statewide mandate. Laramie County, home to Cheyenne, has a mask requirement that went into effect on November 1. However, according to CNN affiliate KGWN, the county’s district attorney’s office has said violations of the mandate will not be prosecuted.
The-CNN-Wire
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