Top Republicans have come around to encouraging everyone to wear masks to prevent further spread of the coronavirus as a number of states in the South and West have seen a growing number of cases.
Vice President Mike Pence advised everyone to “wear a mask” Tuesday, a shift away from months of press briefings in which Pence would choose to speak without a mask, while other members of the coronavirus task force would wear them.
“Wash your hands, practice good hygiene — and wear a mask,” Pence said at a coronavirus task force press briefing Tuesday. “Wear a mask whenever your state and local authorities say it’s appropriate. It’s always a good idea to wear a mask when social distancing is not possible.”
He acknowledged that some people may view mandatory mask-wearing as an infringement on their personal freedom.
“We’re going continue to respect the right of every American but encourage them to listen to state and local authorities and the guidance that they have,” he said.
President Trump has, at times, looked upon mask protocols with disdain, at one point saying that people wear them to show disapproval of him and that he does not need to wear them because he has tested negative for the virus several times. However, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a White House press briefing Tuesday that Trump “has no problem with masks.”
“He encourages people to make whatever decision is best for their safety and to follow what their local jurisdictions say,” McEnany said.
Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, a Republican, lamented Tuesday that mask-wearing “has become part of a political debate.”
“That is why I have suggested the president should occasionally wear a mask even though there are not many occasions when it is necessary for him to do so,” Alexander said. “The president has millions of admirers. They would follow his lead.”
Trump’s media allies have also asked the president to wear a mask, hoping it would set a good example for people reluctant to do so. Polling indicates that Republicans and conservatives wear masks much less frequently. Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy said Thursday that Trump would be “a good role model” if he wore one in public, adding, “I don’t see any downside to the president wearing a mask in public.”
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has held back on mandating that people wear protective masks, which Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and city officials in several states have done, but implored people to wear them as often as possible.
“Arm yourself with a mask,” he said after a Monday press conference. “It’s your best defense against this virus.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also declined to mandate mask-wearing but pleaded with Texans last week to wear them in order to slow the spread of the virus and keep the state open. Since then, Abbott has pulled back reopening plans as Texas has become a new coronavirus epicenter.
Abbott announced last week that the Texas Division of Emergency Management will work with the Texas Military Department to distribute 3-ply surgical masks to every Texan who undergoes COVID-19 testing at state-run mobile test collection sites.
“Wearing a mask or facial covering in public is an effective way for Texans to protect themselves and others from the transmission of COVID-19,” Abbott said. “I continue to urge all Texans to do their part by taking necessary precautions that will reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout our state.”
Texas is dealing with record spikes in new infections. The state health department reported 5,913 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized Monday, a jump of 416 patients from Sunday. Health officials also reported over 4,200 new coronavirus cases Monday and a record 6,975 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to nearly 160,000.
Arizona, which has also experienced a severe COVID-19 outbreak, reported 4,600 new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 79,215.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has surpassed 2.6 million, with at least 127,200 deaths.
Government health experts at Tuesday’s Senate hearing said they support an initiative to ramp up the manufacturing of masks and distributing them to people for free, a proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“There’s no doubt that wearing masks protects you and gets you to be protected,” top government infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said. “Anything that furthers the use of mask, whether it’s giving out free masks or any other mechanism, I am thoroughly in favor of.”
Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health and Human Services, agreed and said masks are “a great investment for the American people.”
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden said Trump has “surrendered” in his fight against the coronavirus pandemic, which he has called the “invisible enemy.”
“[The American people] didn’t make these sacrifices so you could ignore the science and turn responsible steps like wearing masks into a political statement,” Biden said Tuesday. “And they certainly didn’t do it, Mr. President, so you could wash your hands and walk away from this responsibility.”
Fauci issued a grim warning Tuesday that the number of new coronavirus cases could double to about 100,000 each day if people don’t begin taking social distancing protocols more seriously.
“We’re going to continue to be in a lot of trouble. And there’s going to be a lot of hurt if that does not stop and get our act together,” Fauci said in Tuesday’s Senate health committee hearing.
The deadline to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program small-business fund is just before midnight Tuesday, and more than $130 billion will be left unused, the Washington Post reported. Sens. Marco Rubio and Ben Cardin are leading a group to consider how Congress can allocate the remaining funds to help relieve extensive economic damage.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said several times that Congress should wait to pass another economic stimulus package until officials get a better understanding of how the trillions of dollars already allocated has helped. However, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told the House Financial Services Committee Tuesday that the Trump administration supports legislation that would repurpose the remaining $130 billion.
Newsom said Tuesday that he will pull back some of California’s reopening plans ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, CBS San Francisco reported. Though he did not preview new restrictions to be implemented, he said they will be outlined in more detail on Wednesday.
“The framework for us is this: If you’re not going to stay home, and you’re not going to wear masks in public, we have to enforce, and we will, and we’ll be making announcements on enforcement tomorrow,” Newsom said.
California recorded 8,300 new cases from Sunday to Monday, a record for new daily cases. Newsom said that over the last 24 hours, there were 6,376 new cases, with hospitalizations up 6.3%.
