More Americans are wearing face masks than ever, poll shows. But is it enough?

A record number of Americans say they are wearing face masks, a new poll shows.

In a Gallup poll conducted June 22-29, 86% of respondents said they had worn a face mask in the last week. That’s up from 51% in early April and 79% from mid-May, according to Gallup.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended everyone wear face masks in public settings and when around people not in their household.

“Cloth face coverings are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings,” the CDC said.

Gallup’s findings come as the United States now has more than 2.8 million coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 129,000 people have died in the U.S.

Some states in the South and the West that have seen recent surges in cases, including Florida, Texas and California, are now mandating face masks in public.

But there is still a political divide.

Between 96% and 98% of Democrats polled in Gallup’s five latest online surveys said they wear a face mask when they are not at home. Meanwhile, 66% of Republicans said the same.

Gallup polled more than 3,400 American adults for its survey. There is a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The universal use of face masks could prevent about 25,000 deaths in the U.S. before Oct. 1, according to a model from from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

While more Americans are wearing face masks, there is a growing concern about the lack of social distancing. Fifty-four percent of people who responded to the Gallup poll said they were worried there is not enough social distancing in their area. It’s the first time a majority of people said they were worried about the issue.

Gallup said 77% of Democrats are concerned about the lack of social distancing, while 24% of Republicans said the same.

The CDC recommends people practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet apart from others.

Dr. Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said part of the reason for some states’ spikes in coronavirus cases is because “of mixed messaging on masks and social distancing,” according to The Hill.

This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 7:50 AM with the headline "More Americans are wearing face masks than ever, poll shows. But is it enough?."