Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

Throughout the pandemic, various states, counties, and municipalities have issued health orders requiring the wearing of non-medical face coverings — such as cloth masks — in spaces and businesses accessible to the public, especially when physical distancing is not possible.

[20] On April 3, 2020, the CDC issued guidance recommending that non-medical face coverings be worn in public when social distancing is difficult to maintain, such as at grocery stores and pharmacies, and especially in areas with significant amounts of community transmission.

[1][20] When asked by National Public Radio about the April 3 reversal, the CDC cited studies from February and March showing presymptomatic and asymptomatic transmission, and reports from Asian countries regarding the effectiveness of face coverings in this manner.

"[30][31] On June 5, amid the nationwide protests over the police murder of George Floyd, Fauci warned that people not wearing face masks in crowds may "propagate the further spread of infection".

[36][37] After he was criticized for violating Mayo Clinic policies requiring masks to be worn by staff and visitors, Pence explained that he was regularly tested negative for COVID-19, and that, "I thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say 'thank you'.

"[38] On September 17, 2020, the Washington Post published a report on documents from the United States Postal Service obtained by American Oversight under the Freedom of Information Act, which included a draft press release dated April 2020 announcing that it planned to distribute 650 million reusable masks in five-packs to each residential address in the United States (beginning with areas identified as being hot spots at the time, including New York City and parts of Louisiana and Washington).

"[37][41] On Twitter, Trump accused Nessel of "taking her anger and stupidity out on Ford Motor", insinuating that "they might get upset with you and leave the state, like so many other companies have — until I came along and brought business back to Michigan.

[7][8] On July 3, Trump also made an appearance at an Independence Day fireworks event at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota (a state that had been known for its laissez-faire approach to the pandemic with few public health orders), where masks were once again optional, and social distancing was explicitly left unenforced.

"[55] On July 1 in an interview with Fox Business, Trump stated he was "all for masks", but questioned the implementation of a national mandate since they would apply in "places in the country where people stay very long distance."

"[64] In an interview with Fox News Sunday that aired July 19, Trump told Chris Wallace that he was a "believer" in masks, but that he did not intend to enact a federal mandate (leaving it to state governors) because "I want people to have a certain freedom".

'[69][70] On September 21, 2020, William Crews, a public affairs official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), stepped down from his position after The Daily Beast published a report that identified him as a pseudonymous managing editor of the conservative website RedState.

[78][79] By October 2, at least seven attendees of the ceremony had tested positive, also including senators Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, University of Notre Dame president John I. Jenkins (who had apologized after the event for his failure to wear a mask), and an unnamed journalist.

[100][101] On May 13, 2021, the CDC announced new guidance, stating that those who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask or practice social distancing, unless otherwise required by health orders or private entities (such as on all public transportation, and where mandates still exist).

[107][108][100] The federal government had ruled out implementing a national framework for immunity passports due to human rights and privacy concerns, while multiple states have prohibited them outright.

[100] A White House spokesperson stated that the decision had been made solely by the CDC, as part of its current mandate under the Biden administration to operate "based on the science and data, free from political influence".

"[114] On July 25, Fauci stated in an interview that the U.S. was heading in the "wrong direction" due to Delta variant and low vaccination numbers in parts of the country, and that the CDC was "actively considering" revising its guidance.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that "we are dealing with a much different strain of this virus than we were even earlier in the spring, back in May, when the masking guidance was provided by the CDC at that time.

[118] On February 25, 2022, the CDC changed the metrics it used to determine COVID-19 risk by county, with weight placed on hospitalizations over case counts, and factoring in the availability of vaccines, treatments, and improved testing options.

[122] In December 2023, hospitals in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin[123][124] reinstated mask requirements in certain settings due to COVID variant JN.1 and rising levels of respiratory syncytial virus found in wastewater.

"[34][56] On July 5, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows stated that a national mandate was "not in order", arguing that masks were "[used] on a location basis when you can't have social distancing".

[133][134] The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) also published an interview with CDC Director Redfield, where he estimated that the epidemic in the U.S. could be brought under control within four to eight weeks "if we could get everybody to wear a mask right now".

[93][94] On January 21, 2021, Biden signed another executive order mandating masks be worn in compliance with CDC recommendations on all forms of public transportation, including planes, trains, buses, ships, and airports.

[159] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public wearing of face masks to protect others from the spread of infectious disease was not a widely accepted phenomenon in the United States, and had historically been more prevalent in East Asian countries.

[179] In late-June 2020, amid a major surge in cases in multiple states (especially in the Sun Belt), support towards masks abruptly emerged among prominent D.C. Republicans, in an effort to counter resistance towards the practice from President Trump.

[163][180] In a June 28 interview on Face the Nation, Pence recommended that Americans follow the advice of local health officials in regards to wearing masks, as "every state has a unique situation.

[186][187] There have also been incidents of bullying, discrimination, and ethnic violence and insults against Asian Americans who wear masks, as part of ongoing anti-Asian sentiment tied to the pandemic due to its Mainland Chinese origin.

[177] In late-May and early-June 2020, masks printed with slogans related to the Black Lives Matter and police reform movements (such as "I can't breathe") attracted popularity amidst nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd.

[224][225][226] By contrast, Governor of California Gavin Newsom threatened to withhold COVID-19 relief funding from counties that do not sufficiently enforce state health orders, including its mask mandate.

[253] In Kansas, a July 2020 mask mandate by Democratic governor Laura Kelly included the ability for counties to opt out if they (per consultation with health officials) assert that it is not medically necessary; the provision was described as a "bipartisan compromise" to gain support from the state's Republican-majority government.

[271][272] Paris Independent School District attempted to bypass the Texas executive order by declaring its mask mandate to officially be an amendment to the dress code for students and faculty.