This past week I had a repairman come out to my home to fix my internet. As I went out to meet him with my mask on, he said "Oh, let me go back to my truck and get my mask." This interaction helped me appreciate the value of the masks mandates that have been passed around the country since mask-wearing for individuals that are not in high-risk populations is a public good. Most young adults are at low risk and do not individually benefit from wearing masks. I know that while I personally wore one before the statewide mandate, I found it annoying and would have preferred if I could have not worn it. This creates an instance of the Prisoner's Dilemma for those at low-risk: the individual doesn't feel like their mask-wearing contributes much to the public's health so they are less inclined to wear one, yet everyone is better off if we all wear masks.
Governor Northam passed one of the 20+ mask mandates currently in effect across the country at the end of May. This requirement forces collective action from Virginians, effectively moving to a Pareto-efficient allocation of mask-wearing. In practice, this has led to higher levels of mask-wearing among low-risk individuals, leading to those at high-risk being better protected, and overall raising the public's wellness. This has translated to lower COVID-19 rates per capita compared to no-mandate states, demonstrating that the government's use of a mandate to force collective action is indeed a Pareto improvement, saving lives in the process. The mandates have proven to be a good example of when government intervention is necessary to get closer to allocative efficiency.
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