[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Just to clarify, here is more recent guidance on masks from the Surgeon General and the CDC.

"U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams explained the CDC began advising that symptomatic people wear face masks at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then as science showed that the virus could manifest in people as presymptomatic and asymptomatic, the organization expanded its guidance that all people wear face coverings when outside the home."
April 3, 2020

While I agree with you the CDC is actually a recommendation:

QUOTED: CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States. We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings | CDC