Many people are wearing masks when they leave their homes to prevent them from catching and spreading the coronavirus, and until now, this has been a personal choice.
However, seven states have taken that a step further, reports CNN, and are now requiring citizens to wear masks when they use public transport or visit essential business. A number of individual counties, such as San Diego County, CA, have already introduced mandatory mask measures, but these are the first statewide requirements.
Social distancing measures still apply, but the Governors of these states all insist you wear a face mask when in and around other people:
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Maryland
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
Penalties for violating the rules can be quite steep. Hawaii, for example, is threatening a $5,000 fine or a year in prison for anybody found breaking the law.
‘Social distancing measures still apply, but the Governors of these states all insist you wear a face mask when in and around other people’
Personally, I’ve found that wearing a mask when ‘in’ someone diminishes the intimacy of the experience…