John,

We may be sick of COVID-19, but COVID-19 is not sick of us. Cities around the country just posted record-breaking new case numbers, four months into the pandemic. Our federal government seems to have given up―but we need to keep fighting!

The virus has been around the world, and we’ve been able to see what public policy approaches work, and which are miserable failures. And as states around the country attempt radically different approaches, one thing is becoming clear: Masks work.

Mask wearing is having a real effect on the amount of new COVID-19 cases. Take a look at this chart. In U.S. states where mask use is mandatory, cases dropped by 25 percent. In states where mask use was "recommended, but not required," cases increased by 84 percent. [1]

A 25% reduction in cases is better odds than hydroxychloroquine ever promised. So why have Republicans turned mask-wearing into a deadly culture war??

Sign if you agree! We need legislation to mandate masks, when engaging in commerce, to protect us from the fast-spreading coronavirus.

The American people know wearing a face mask makes sense. In fact, 76% of Americans want masks to be required in businesses.  

We are living in a global pandemic with a disease that has no known treatment, cure or vaccine. What we need are masks, not a new issue for Trump to use to attempt to divide us up.

If we all wear masks this summer, we might actually be able to send our kids back to school in the fall. We might be able to visit our grandparents for Thanksgiving. We might be able to vote in person without risking our lives.

But every day, tens of thousands more are infected and, without masks, each of them will infect even more.

There is no time to waste. We need masks throughout the United States to halt the fast-spreading coronavirus, and to keep us safe. Tell local and state governments that masks are an essential part of re-opening local economies to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The countries graphed in red, including the United States, show the results of new COVID-19 cases where there is limited mask usage, and limited testing and tracing.

There is going to be a massive rush to re-open more of our economy prior to the 4th of July. Let's make sure we do that in a responsible way.

Together, let's demand state and local governments enact rules to make mask-wearing mandatory when engaging in commerce.

We know that masks are one of the best tools for reducing the spread of COVID-19. Mandating masks will also help the economy recover. After all, people won’t enter businesses if they don’t feel safe.  

Thank you for your support during these difficult times,

Michael Phelan
Social Security Works