Mask Information

We used the official face covering orders issued by various governors’ or local authorities from AARP State-by-State Guide to Face Mask and Masks4All compilation. The dates are rounded to the start of the work week. This information is categorized into 4 categories:

• No Mask: No mask mandate was issued at a county or a state level or issuing a mandate was restricted.
• County Level: The Mask mandate decision was left for the counties to decide. Mask mandate can be issued by the county level officials and majority of the counties issued a mask mandate.
• Recommended: While a mask mandate is not issued by the state officials, the mask usage is highly recommended. This category assumes that the mask adaptation is not high and is voluntary for the individuals in a state.
• Mandated: With state-wide mask mandate, masks are required in the outdoor and large gatherings by the state. Masks in public/government buildings, masks in businesses

Social Distancing

All states initiated a strict lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. The states modified these orders based on the perceived risk of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths while also trying to bring back the economy. States mostly adapted the guidelines provided by the White house COVID-19 taskforce reopening guidelines. The guidelines for individual states are gathered from AARP, FINRA, and Ballotpedia The social distancing guidelines maybe categorized into 5 phases:

• Phase 0: Only essential businesses are open, and all the other businesses are closed. All restaurants and bars are closed. All schools are closed. Large gatherings are banned.
• Phase 1: All restaurants and bars are opened at 25% capacity. Personal service industries like massage parlors, tattoos are open. Schools and other gatherings are closed.
• Phase 2: All restaurants and bars are opened at 50%. Schools and large gatherings are closed.
• Phase 3: All restaurants and bars are opened at 50%. Schools and other large gatherings are open.
• Phase 4: All restaurants and bars are open at 75% capacity.
• Phase 5: No restrictions are placed on the businesses or individuals.