Here’s the Difference Between a COVID-19 Mask Recommendation and a Mask Mandate

• Federal officials have issued new mask wearing recommendation guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic, while leaders in some cities and states have implemented mask mandates.
• The main difference between a mask mandate and a recommendation is that mandates come with enforcement and punishments.
• Experts say mask mandates can work on a local level, but they are more difficult to enforce on a state or national level.

Vaccinations, many thought, were supposed to help end the COVID-19 pandemic and bring a return to a version of pre-pandemic normalcy.

However, with the highly transmissible Delta variant surging across the United States leading to high levels of new cases and hospitalizations in some states, both mask recommendations and mask mandates are making a comeback.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week updated its guidance on mask wearing, recommending that even fully vaccinated individuals wear masks indoors in areas of substantial community spread.

The agency also suggested that fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of community spread for added safety — especially if they are immunocompromised or at other elevated risks of disease.

This information is based on “preliminary evidence… that fully vaccinated people… with the Delta variant can spread the virus to others,” the agency says.