COVER UP

‘I Want to See College Football’: Mississippi Guv Makes Masks Mandatory

Gov. Tate Reeves had long resisted issuing a mask mandate for the entire state.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves issued an executive order Tuesday mandating that face coverings be worn at all public gatherings and while shopping for the next two weeks. “I want to see college football,” Reeves said. “The best way for that to occur is for us all to realize is that wearing a mask, as irritating as that can be & I promise I hate it more than anyone watching, is critical.” The new order, which applies statewide rather than in certain counties as Reeves had previously ordered, comes as coronavirus cases continue to rise across the state and more than one fifth of tests in the state return positive results. Reeves has long resisted issuing a statewide mandate, claiming that such an order would have the reverse effect and discourage many from wearing masks.