David LeonhardtVerified account

Almost everywhere I stopped — gas stations, rest stops and hotels, across Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois — there was a sign on the door saying that people had to wear masks to enter. And almost everywhere, most people ignored the sign. (2/x)

At a Fairfield Inn in Ohio, a middle-aged couple sat unmasked on a lobby sofa for hours, drinking beers and scrolling through their phones. The hotel staff evidently did nothing about it. (3/x)

At a convenience store in Indiana, a hand-drawn sign on the door read: “Face masks are required. Please do not enter without one!!” Customers did anyway. (4/x)

Nationwide, about half of Americans are not wearing masks when in close contact with people outside their households, according to a survey by the University of Southern California. (5/x)

Wearing a mask isn’t much fun, I realize. But the inconvenience sure seems worth the benefits. Study after study has shown that masks reduce the virus’s spread. (6/x)

Millions of Americans have decided they would prefer more Covid — for their communities and potentially for their families and themselves — to more masks. (7/x)