Despite COVID-19 cases of over 3 million, US President Donald Trump has stressed he will not issue a nationwide order to wear masks. His decision flies in the face of science, stating masks could help stop the spread of COVID-19. However, Americans have somehow turned mask-wearing into a political debate. The people against covers have said wearing them violated their liberties.
Why Trump Would Not Declare a National Mask-Wearing Order
In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Trump said he wanted to give Americans “a certain freedom.” Likewise, he also didn’t believe that “everything disappears” if people wore masks.
He also cited an earlier statement by Dr. Anthony Fauci and US Surgeon General Jerome Adams. Fauci and Adams had told the public before that they didn’t need to wear masks. However, Fauci clarified his statement. At the time, the US had a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. The two officials have since advised the public to wear masks.
Trump also said in the interview that “masks cause problems, too.” Gizmodo also reports that Trump has decided to leave the matter to the governors. Moreover, Trump had said that he did believe in wearing masks. Still, he refused to make it mandatory for the public.
Trump says he will not consider national mask mandate in U.S., country with worst coronavirus outbreak in the world. https://t.co/nvcpWN1CSq pic.twitter.com/as1lUjeq08
— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) July 20, 2020
The CDC’s Opinion on Wearing Masks
CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield had also said that wearing masks “for the next four to eight weeks” could enable the US to control COVID-19. In a CDC press release, Dr. Redfield also called on all Americans to wear masks. It was everyone’s responsibility to keep themselves and others safe.
The Millions of COVID-19 Cases in the United States
In the Gizmodo report, the US has already logged over 3.7 million cases, with about 140,500 deaths. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center had provided the data.
The United States holds all the records for global COVID-19 cases. Now, it’s up to the American public whether they want to follow doctors’ advice, or not.
