Georgia was one of the first states to reopen, beginning on April 24. Even as the state permitted it, restauranteurs in criticized the move and made the choice to keep their doors closed. There’s been similar pushback to the state’s reluctance to issue a mask mandate. On July 8, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an emergency order requiring the use of masks in the city. This came after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp called statewide mask requirements a “bridge too far.” Georgia as a whole is coming closer to marking 100,000 total coronavirus cases and reached a record high of 2,886 new coronavirus cases on July 1. For more on what the future looks like, Here’s How Long You’ll Have to Wear a Face Mask, Experts Say.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Arizona coronavirus numbers have risen astronomically in the last month, yet the state hasn’t issued a statewide mask mandate. In April and May, Arizona was only averaging about 200 to 300 new coronavirus cases each day, but, since mid-June, the states has seen between 2,000 and 3,000 new cases each day. These rising numbers prompted Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council to issue a face mask requirement on June 20, despite the state government’s hesitancy. Florida has been deemed one of the new epicenters for the coronavirus pandemic, with case numbers surpassing 230,000. Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued a mask mandate for the city on July 1, four days after the state had nearly reached 10,000 new cases in one day. (The state has since broken that record, setting a daily high of nearly 11,500 new cases on July 4.) However, Miami is just one of the cities in Florida issuing its own order. Other cities where masks are now required include Fort Lauderdale and Tampa. And for more about dangerous areas, These Are the Places You’re Most Likely to Catch Coronavirus, Doctors Say. Like many other Southern states, Tennessee has seen a steady uptick in daily new coronavirus cases since the beginning of June. Their current record day is July 8, on which they recorded 2,113 more. And yet, the state has still not introduced a mask mandate. However, that hasn’t stopped Nashville from putting its own into effect. The Nashville Board of Health voted unanimously to make wearing masks a requirement in the city starting June 28. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has maintained that he will not issue a statewide mask mandate, stressing that he believes the decisions should be made at a local level, according to the The Missouri Times. And that’s exactly what St. Louis did. The city mandated face masks at a city-wide level on July 3, as coronavirus case numbers for the state surpassed 25,000. “People and businesses across the St. Louis Region have responded so well to the ongoing threat of COVID-19. Making face masks or coverings mandatory is an important step to ensure we do not go backwards as a region in the fight against this virus,” St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said in a public statement. And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.
