Washington, Mar 7 (IANS): A study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that mask mandates issued by state governments contributed to a decrease in daily Covid-19 case and death growth rates within 20 days of implementation.

To examine the association of state-issued mask mandates and allowing on-premises restaurant dining with Covid-19 cases and deaths during March 1 to December 31, 2020, the CDC compared county-level data on mask mandates and restaurant reopenings with county-level changes in infection and fatalitiy growth rates relative to the mandate implementation and reopening dates, reports Xinhua news agency.

The study shows mandating masks was associated with a drop in daily Covid-19 cases and deaths increase within 20 days of implementation.

Meanwhile, allowing on-premises restaurant dining was associated with an increase in daily case growth rates 41 to 100 days after implementation, and an increase in daily death growth rates 61 to 100 days after implementation.

Mask mandates and restricting any on-premises dining at restaurants can help limit community transmission of Covid-19 and reduce case and death growth rates, said the CDC.

The study comes as more states, including Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota, have announced plans to drop mask mandates amid continued high levels of new Covid-19 cases nationwide and increasing variant infections.

Currently nearly 2,600 infection cases of coronavirus variants have been reported in the US, according to the CDC.