Dataset Information

The enforcement of statewide mask wearing mandates to prevent COVID-19 in the US: an overview.

ABSTRACT: Face masks have become the bulwark of COVID-19 prevention in the US. Between 10 April and 1 August, 2020, 33 state governors issued orders requiring businesses to require their customers and employees to wear face masks, and persons outdoors who could not social distance to do the same. We documented the policies and enforcement actions for these policies in each of the states. We used governors' orders and journalists' news reports as our sources. Our results show that the states used a variety of state and local (county and municipality) agencies to enforce business prevention behaviors and primarily local law enforcement agencies to enforce outside mask-wearing behaviours. In particular, law enforcement officers demonstrated a strong preference for educating non-mask wearers, and indicated a reluctance to resort to civil penalties that were enacted in the state orders. Businesses expressed a preference to have government agencies enforce non-mask wearing behaviours. But there was also a widespread reluctance on the part of local law enforcement to resort to legal remedies.

SUBMITTER: Jacobs P

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7818140 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The enforcement of statewide mask wearing mandates to prevent COVID-19 in the US: an overview.

Jacobs Philip P Ohinmaa Arvi P AP

F1000Research 20200907

Face masks have become the bulwark of COVID-19 prevention in the US. Between 10 April and 1 August, 2020, 33 state governors issued orders requiring businesses to require their customers and employees to wear face masks, and persons outdoors who could not social distance to do the same. We documented the policies and enforcement actions for these policies in each of the states. We used governors' orders and journalists' news reports as our sources. Our results show that the states used a vari ...[more]

PMID: 33520192

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Project description:Use of face coverings has been shown to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Despite encouragements from the CDC and other public health entities, resistance to usage of masks remains, forcing government entities to create mandates to compel use. The state of Oklahoma did not create a state-wide mask mandate, but numerous municipalities within the state did. This study compares case rates in communities with mandates to those without mandates, at the same time and in the same state (thus keeping other mitigation approaches similar). Diagnosed cases of COVID-19 were extracted from the Oklahoma State Department of Health reportable disease database. Daily case rates were established based upon listed city of residence. The daily case rate difference between each locality with a mask mandate were compared to rates for the portions of the state without a mandate. All differences were then set to a d0 point of reference (date of mandate implementation). Piecewise linear regression analysis of the difference in SARS-CoV-2 infection rates between mandated and non-mandated populations before and after adoption of mask mandates was then done. Prior to adopting mask mandates, those municipalities that eventually adopted mandates had higher transmission rates than the rest of the state, with the mean case rate difference per 100,000 people increasing by 0.32 cases per day (slope of difference = 0.32; 95% CI 0.13 to 0.51). For the post-mandate time period, the differences are decreasing (slope of -0.24; 95% CI -0.32 to -0.15). The pre- and post- mandate slopes differed significantly (p<0.001). The change in slope direction (-0.59; 95% CI -0.80 to -0.37) shows a move toward reconvergence in new case diagnoses between the two populations. Compared to rates in communities without mask mandates, transmission rates of SARS-CoV-2 slowed notably in those communities that adopted a mask mandate. This study suggests that government mandates may play a role in reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and other infectious respiratory conditions.

Project description:BackgroundFace mask use has been associated with declines in COVID-19 incidence rates worldwide. A handful of studies have examined the factors associated with face mask use in North America during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, much less is known about the patterns of face mask use and the impact of mask mandates during this time. This information could have important policy implications, now and in the event of future pandemics.ObjectiveTo address existing knowledge gaps, we assessed face mask usage patterns among British Columbia COVID-19 Population Mixing Patterns (BC-Mix) survey respondents and evaluated the impact of the provincial mask mandate on these usage patterns.MethodsBetween September 2020 and July 2022, adult British Columbia residents completed the web-based BC-Mix survey, answering questions on the circumstances surrounding face mask use or lack thereof, movement patterns, and COVID-19-related beliefs. Trends in face mask use over time were assessed, and associated factors were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. A stratified analysis was done to examine effect modification by the provincial mask mandate.ResultsOf the 44,301 respondents, 81.9% reported wearing face masks during the 23-month period. In-store and public transit mask mandates supported monthly face mask usage rates of approximately 80%, which was further bolstered up to 92% with the introduction of the provincial mask mandate. Face mask users mostly visited retail locations (51.8%) and travelled alone by car (49.6%), whereas nonusers mostly traveled by car with others (35.2%) to their destinations-most commonly parks (45.7%). Nonusers of face masks were much more likely to be male than female, especially in retail locations and restaurants, bars, and cafés. In a multivariable logistic regression model adjusted for possible confounders, factors associated with face mask use included age, ethnicity, health region, mode of travel, destination, and time period. The odds of face mask use were 3.68 times greater when the provincial mask mandate was in effect than when it was not (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.68, 95% CI 3.33-4.05). The impact of the mask mandate was greatest in restaurants, bars, or cafés (mandate: aOR 7.35, 95% CI 4.23-12.78 vs no mandate: aOR 2.81, 95% CI 1.50-5.26) and in retail locations (mandate: aOR 19.94, 95% CI 14.86-26.77 vs no mandate: aOR 7.71, 95% CI 5.68-10.46).ConclusionsStudy findings provide added insight into the dynamics of face mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mask mandates supported increased and sustained high face mask usage rates during the first 2 years of the pandemic, having the greatest impact in indoor public locations with limited opportunity for physical distancing targeted by these mandates. These findings highlight the utility of mask mandates in supporting high face mask usage rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dataset Information

The enforcement of statewide mask wearing mandates to prevent COVID-19 in the US: an overview.

Publications

The enforcement of statewide mask wearing mandates to prevent COVID-19 in the US: an overview.

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