WASHINGTON (US) – As governors in the country are grappling with the surge in the number of coronavirus cases, North Dakota has become the 35th state to make the wearing of face masks in public places mandatory.
Along with 38 other states, North Dakota too witnessed record daily new spurts in cases. It joined 17 other states to have the highest number of fatalities and is part of the league of 25 other states to have a record number of hospitalisations.
“Our situation has changed, and we must change with it,” North Dakota’s Republican Governor Doug Burgum said in a statement late on Friday.
The new order requires face coverings to be worn in most indoor public places and “in outdoor business and public settings when it is not possible to maintain physical distancing.”
The governor has also instructed restaurants and bars to cap their patrons to 50% of capacity and to close by 10 pm. Data suggests that late-night gatherings lead to increased spread of the virus.