In the age of Covid-19, the act of wearing a mask in public has become another front in America’s bitter culture wars. But even amid the partisan divide, a growing number of states — including some led by Republican governors — now mandate face coverings.
More than half the states had issued mask requirements as of Dec. 10, a move that public health experts say will help stop the spread of the coronavirus as cases surge in many regions.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican who had resisted a statewide mask requirement, issued one in July, as did Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat.
But some political squabbles show no sign of abating: Georgia's governor in July sued Atlanta's mayor over the city's mask law, a day after he banned local governments from requiring the coverings.
Between July and late November, several new states issued mask mandates, including Utah, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Vermont, Indiana and Ohio.
Here’s a look at where masks are now mandated by state governments, according to NBC News’ reporting. We’ll update this page in the days ahead.
Read more coronavirus updates here, and see the latest U.S. Covid-19 case numbers here.
