In the middle of a major coronavirus spike, North Dakota’s Republican Governor Doug Burgum has mandated wearing facemasks in public to curb the spread of the virus, Reuters reports.
North Dakota, whose residents are famously against government regulations, has seen the seven-day moving average of new cases triple in the last four weeks.
The new mandates require masks at all indoor public places as well as at outdoor events and businesses where it is not feasible to maintain social distancing.
Capacity limits at restaurants and bars has been temporarily cut to 50%, and closing times set at 10 p.m.
“Our situation has changed, and we must change with it,” Burgum said in a statement late on Friday.