Jay Inslee, the governor of Washington state in the US, ordered residents to wear face masks in public after the region saw its positive tests rise by 35 percent last week.
"This is about saving lives. It's about reopening our businesses. And it's about showing respect and care for one another," Inslee said.
The move as the states of Arizona, California, Mississippi and Nevada reported record numbers of new cases of COVID-19. Texas set a record on Monday. About a dozen other US states and some major cities have face-covering rules.
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