Updated Jun 30, 2020 - Health

Kansas becomes latest state to make wearing masks in public mandatory

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. Photo: Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Gov. Laura Kelly (D) announced in a statement on Monday that people in Kansas will be required to wear face masks while in public due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Driving the news: The order, effective this Friday, comes as several states are seeing spikes in COVID-19 cases following local economies reopening from lockdown.

  • "This is a simple, proactive step we can take to keep Kansans at work, get our kids back to school, and keep ourselves and our neighbors healthy," Kelly said.

The big picture: Other states to have introduced mandatory measures for face masks are: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Washington.

Go deeper: Mask mandates may have prevented hundreds of thousands of coronavirus cases

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Fadel Allassan
Jul 12, 2020 - Health

Surgeon general defends reversal on face mask policy

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams defended his and other health officials' reversal on whether people should wear face coverings to protect against the coronavirus, arguing on CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday: "When we learn better, we do better."

Why it matters: Adams has faced significant criticism for tweeting in February, "Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can't get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!"

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Sam Baker
5 hours ago - Health

More Republicans say they're wearing masks

Data: Axios/Ipsos poll; Chart: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Nearly two-thirds of Americans — and a noticeably increasing number of Republicans — say they’re wearing a face mask whenever they leave the house, according to the latest installment of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: A weakening partisan divide over masks, and a broad-based increase in the number of people wearing them, would be a welcome development as most of the country tries to beat back a rapidly growing outbreak.

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Marisa Fernandez
19 hours ago - Health

California orders sweeping rollback of open businesses as virus cases surge

Photo: Agustin Paullier/AFP via Getty Images

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered indoor operations for restaurants, wineries, movie theaters and other family entertainment like zoos, museums and card rooms to cease immediately. Bars must also close entirely.

Why it matters: It's the largest statewide rollback of a reopening plan yet, underscoring the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in California.

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