Mask mandates appear to be paying off in Kansas, Alabama

Kansas and Alabama have seen their coronavirus trends improve following mask mandates, The Wichita Eagle and Al.com report.

One month after Alabama's mask order went into effect, coronavirus numbers are on the decline, whether it's the percentage of positive tests (which was down to 11.1 percent on Friday from a high of 16.7 percent on July 18), hospitalization, or the raw number of daily infections. Of course, social distancing and other hygiene measures have played a role, but the mask mandate — and, more importantly, compliance — seems to be paying off.

Kansas provides an even clearer view of the effect masks have, since the data collected by the Eagle shows a contrast between counties that followed the statewide mask order and those that rejected it. Overall, Kansas' rolling 7-day average of new infections is down from its peak in mid-July, and the pattern is reportedly holding true in 16 counties that adopted the mask order. But in 89 counties without a mandate, cases have trended up recently. Read more at Al.Com and The Wichita Eagle.

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