19 States Still Don't Mandate Masks. 18 Are Run By Republican Governors.

TOPLINE

Of the 19 states that have yet to issue a mask mandate, 18 are run by Republican governors, a sign facial covering orders remain a partisan issue among public officials even as polling shows the divide around them fading.

KEY FACTS

Republican governors in 18 states have yet to issue a mask mandate: Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Alaska.

Wisconsin is the only state led by a Democratic governor, Tony Evers, that has not mandated facial coverings.

The virus has surged in some of these states, with nine of the 19 states yet to issue a mask mandate reporting a greater than 10% rise in new infections over the last seven days: Idaho, Alaska, Wyoming, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, and New Hampshire.

Even as they encourage mask use, some governors say orders are tough to enforce while others, like Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), say a mandate infringes on personal freedoms.

Last week, Kemp sparked controversy when he sued the city of Atlanta for its mask mandate.

Nearly one-third of counties in Florida have mandated masks, despite the lack of a statewide order from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.).

News peg

Indiana and Ohio, both led by Republican governors, issued mask mandates this week.

Crucial quote

In a virtual press conference on Thursday, Evers said he was exploring a mask mandate. "Unfortunately, there are some folks in the state that don't believe that masks help," Evers said. "We know they do, there's no question. Even Donald Trump suggested that it's a good idea."

Key background

Recent polling shows more Republicans are wearing masks and support mask coverings. An Axios/Ipsos poll released last week found that 45% of Republicans said they're wearing facial coverings "all the time," an increase from 35% last month. Nearly three in four U.S. voters and a majority of Republicans support a mask mandate in their state, a new Politico/Morning Consult poll released this week found.

Surprising fact

President Trump has said repeatedly he does not support a national mask mandate and he only recently began wearing a mask in public.

Further reading

These are the states requiring people to wear masks when out in public (CNN)

Republicans Wearing Masks More As Coronavirus Surges, Poll Finds ( Forbes)

Nearly Three Out Of Four U.S. Voters Support Mask Mandate, Poll Finds ( Forbes)

Despite DeSantis, Nearly One-Third Of Florida Counties Require Masks ( Forbes)

I cover national politics for Forbes. Previously, I've written for TIME, Newsweek, the New York Daily News and VICE News. I also launched my own startup, Newsreel, a

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