On Friday, President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines recommending that Americans wear face coverings when in public to help fight the spread of COVID-19.
However, the president immediately said he had no intention of following the advice himself, saying, “I’m choosing not to do it.” “It’s a recommendation, they recommend it,” Trump said. “I just don’t want to wear one myself.”
The new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people, especially in areas hit hard by the spread of the coronavirus, to use rudimentary coverings like T-shirts, bandannas and non-medical masks to cover their faces while outdoors.
Previously, officials said only the sick or those at high risk were advised to wear masks.
Deborah Birx, the task force coordinator, emphasized that the most critical and effective measures to slow the spread of the virus are staying six feet apart from others, frequently washing their hands and refraining from touching their faces.