Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) issued an order Thursday making his state the last to require residents to wear face masks in public to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The mandate will take effect on Monday and comes just a day after retail giant Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, announced mandatory face covers for shoppers at all of its stores across the country.
Hutchinson had previously questioned how a mask mandate would work in a rural state, saying in May that people needed to “manage the risk” of infection.
“We take the virus very seriously,” he said at the time. “It is a risk, it causes death, but you cannot shut yourself up at home, that is contrary to the American spirit.”
Other states that joined the growing list of those requiring masks in public this week include Colorado and Alabama. The list already includes many states that have seen coronavirus spikes this month, such as Texas, California, and North Carolina.
Hutchinson previously encouraged local municipalities to enforce their own pandemic ordinances and protocols, but changed his stance as Arkansas continues to report an increasing number of cases.
According to the Arkansas Department of Health, a total of 29,248 coronavirus cases have been reported in the state, with 335 deaths and 22,851 recoveries.
The state is one of the few that has never issued mandatory orders to stay home to slow the spread of the virus.
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