State mask mandates linked to higher consumer confidence: study

States that implemented mask mandates saw higher levels of consumer confidence, according to a new study from the University of Utah.

The study, which examined data from April through September, found that state-level mandates calmed people into expecting a safer environment to participate in their local economies, while county-level mandates led residents to worry about large outbreaks.

Researchers looked at county- and state-level data nationwide and found that state mask mandates reduced COVID-19 infections by 10 new cases per day per 100,000 people. The data showed that a 10 percent drop in cases led to a 15 percent uptick in state residents going to the store.

But on the county level, that positive effect was overtaken by fears of rising cases, according to the study.

“We find … that state mask mandates stimulate the economy, but county mandates do not,” the authors wrote.

Currently, 37 states have some form of a mask mandate.

“Mask mandates at both levels signal that economic activity is safer — stimulating the economy. However, when a county enacts a mask mandate, people also believe the risk from COVID-19 in their local area is higher — dampening economic activity,” the study found.

The study adds to a growing body of research showing that a national mask mandate — an approach supported by President-elect Joe Biden — could help boost the economic recovery while slowing the spread of COVID-19.