Colorado government Jared Polis
Jared Schutz, governor of PolisColorado, says “you are a selfish bastard” if you refuse to wear a mask. Protesters surround the Aurora police compound after photos of officers emerge mocking the death of Elijah McClain. Officer involved in taking photos mocking Elijah McClain resigns MORE (D) issued an executive order Thursday that requires residents to wear face masks in closed public places, as the state experiences a sustained increase in coronavirus cases.
The order, which takes effect at midnight, makes Colorado the last state to issue a statewide mask mandate due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has infected more than 3 million people in the U.S. AND accounted for around 137,000 deaths.
Polis said at a press conference that the order would require people 10 and older to cover their faces in closed public spaces when they are unable to practice social distancing, according to reports. Those who violate the mandate could face civil or criminal penalties, the governor said.
“Look, in Colorado, there is no shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service,” Polis said. “Very simple.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Colorado health officials had reported 38,000 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and about 1,700 deaths from it. The state has seen a marked increase in daily cases since June, according to data from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
The state reported a 40 percent increase in cases last week, The Denver Post reported, noting that hospitalizations have also seen an increase.
“We need a coordinated and unambiguous state message with moral clarity and scientific clarity, and we are providing it today,” Polis said.
Polis had previously said it was not within his authority to issue a mask mandate at the state level. Before her order, about 40 cities and counties in the state had issued their own public mask mandates, The Denver Post noted.
While originally resisting orders for masks, Polis has spoken openly about the need to wear face covers in public to help slow the spread of the virus. In a Facebook post on Sunday, Polis wrote that anyone who refused to wear a mask was a “selfish bastard”.
“The emerging scientific data is clear: wearing a mask not only protects others, it also significantly reduces your own risk of contracting Coronavirus,” he said. “So if you are a selfish bastard and wearing a mask to protect others is not a reason not enough to do so, then perhaps protect yourself?
He later defended the comments, saying they were one of the ways he was communicating the importance of covering his face when it comes to mitigating community transmission.
“That means direct, it means humor, it means appeals to people’s patriotism, both in terms of their pride in being Americans and their pride in being Coloradons,” he said.
Dozens of states, and Washington, DC, have implemented mandates that require residents to wear facial coverage in public. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R) also announced Thursday that his state would begin requiring masks in public.
However, some state and local leaders have resisted such a broad directive; Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) issued an executive order Wednesday to prevent local municipalities from forcing their faces to be covered in public. Kemp’s order said residents are “strongly encouraged to wear face covers as possible.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a guide urging Americans to wear face covers. CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement earlier this week that “fabric overlays are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus.”
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