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Face mask use among Republicans has grown notably since the end of June, according to recent polling data.
Results of a new Axios-Ipsos poll, which collected responses from more than 1,000 U.S. adults between July 10 and 13, showed a greater portion of the general population wore face masks when leaving their homes in July, compared with June.
Respondents who identified as Republicans accounted for the largest increase in mask use between June and July, with 45 percent saying they wore face coverings "at all times" when outside of their residences. The statistic rose from 35 percent of GOP respondents who said the same during a previous Axios-Ipsos poll, conducted between June 26 and 29.
The poll also showed that more participants who identified as either Democrats or independents reported wearing face coverings in public spaces, compared with the results from two weeks earlier. According to the poll, 78 percent of Democrats routinely wore masks when leaving their homes in July, compared with 71 percent during the last few days of June.
There was a similar jump in face mask wearing among independent respondents, 58 percent of whom said they wore masks outside of their homes in July. That number rose from 51 percent who said the same in June.
Overall, the majority of those surveyed in the latest poll—62 percent—said they did not leave home without wearing a face mask. That figure increased by nearly 10 percent over the two-week period between the June and July surveys. When responses from individuals who said they sometimes wear face masks outside of their homes are considered, the percentages increase further. In July, 95 percent of Democratic poll participants said they wore face masks some or all of the time, as did 74 percent of Republicans.
Although a partisan divide still exists with regard to mask wearing, the new polling figures reflect the national push for widespread use of face coverings in public.
As multiple states report spikes in new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19, state and local leaders across the country have implemented directives that require residents to wear masks in public settings, particularly those where adequate social distancing is not feasible. Officials in regions that did not implement mandatory mask orders amid virus resurgences in June have encouraged residents of their jurisdictions to wear them anyway.
Guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend face coverings as a way to curb transmission of the virus. The guidance notes that wearing masks becomes particularly important in settings where individuals are not able to maintain 6 feet of physical distance.
