Hyderabad: Wearing a mask in public places has turned into a political issue in the United States as many oppose the move saying it violates their individual freedom.
A recent survey has shown that most of the American wear masks in public places.
Pew Research Center's poll found that Democrats were more likely to say they wear masks than Republicans.
Democratic governors have made the mask mandatory in their respective states and the party leaders have been more vocal about its importance.
While Republicans have spoken about masks' importance but have been hesitant to make it mandatory despite facing a massive surge in coronavirus cases in their states.
How did the mask debate start
Initially, large maskless protests erupted against the shutdown orders and later it turned into larger anti-masks sentiment. As states eased restrictions and local businesses were allowed to reopen, they required customers to wear masks. Now businesses and its employees have found themselves on the frontline of mask debate.
Many Americans who refuse to wear masks say that it violates their individual freedom.
What health bodies say
The World Health Organization and the Centre for Disease Control both had advised people to wear masks as restriction eases.
The top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci had also said that everyone should wear a mask in public and it “should not be a political issue. It is purely a public health issue.”
While Texas Governor Greg Abbott -- when cases soared in the state -- said that the state government wants to make sure that individual liberty is not infringed upon by state and hence the government cannot require individuals to wear a mask.
