The coronavirus seems to get worse by the day.
Months into the global pandemic, the virus has infected just over 11 million people worldwide, killing more than 530,000.
U.S. states are backtracking on reopening plans as cases rise. Hospitals are being overwhelmed. There’s even fear global economies may need to be shut down again.
“This isn’t confined to a handful of states anymore,” says former US FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb. “It’s going to be difficult now to get this under control.”
As we see an increase in cases, we’re beginning to see an increase in face mask demand, too.
In California, for example, Gov. Gavin Newsom just tweeted, “Californians are now REQUIRED to wear face coverings in public spaces.”
And, according to NPR, Newsom added, “Our numbers are going up, not going down. Hospitalization numbers are just starting to creep back up, and I’m very concerned by what we’re seeing. We think the most impactful thing we can do, short of going back to a stay-at-home order, is wearing face coverings when we can’t practice physical distancing.”
Even Florida lawmakers are demanding that Gov. Ron DeSantis order a statewide mask mandate. “In watching the devastation that COVID-19 is causing in our communities,” a letter from Florida lawmakers noted.
“We strongly recommend that the State of Florida implement a mandatory use of face coverings over the nose and mouth while in a business or other building open to the public, as well as outdoor public spaces, whenever social distancing is not possible,” it added.
We could see even more states following suit after Goldman Sachs said a “federal face mask mandate would not only cut the daily growth rate of new confirmed cases of Covid-19, but could also save the U.S. economy from taking a 5% GDP hit in lieu of additional lockdowns,” as noted by CNBC.
With demand for face masks likely to pick up steam, three of the top stocks running including Alpha Pro Tech (APT), 3M (MMM), and Etsy (ETSY).