Only 15 percent of Tennesseans reportedly wear masks in public

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    NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) — Only 15 percent of Tennesseans are reportedly wearing face masks when outside their homes, according to a new report from the University of Washington.

The report says our state’s death toll and mask usage go hand in hand, but compared to other states, Tennessee’s reported mask usage is not nearly where it should be.

Researchers at the University of Washington made predictions for the number of deaths per state by October 1. The research shows about 180,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States by that time.

The research also shows that compared to states like Massachusetts, where 62 percent of residents reported to wearing masks in public, mask-wearing in Tennessee is far less common.

The projected data predicts 941 deaths in Tennessee without mask-wearing, and 793 deaths with mask-wearing.

The projections accounted for 95% of people wearing and not wearing masks.

Here in Nashville, city officials don’t require people to wear masks, however strongly recommend it.

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