cnbc | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
on Sunday said that a federal mandate on wearing masks is “long
overdue,” as state governors call for a consistent national message on
the issue amid a surge in coronavirus cases across the nation.
Pelosi
said that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended
the use of masks to reduce the spread of the virus but never mandated it
as to “not offend” President Donald Trump.
The
president has repeatedly flouted public health guidelines by refusing
to wear a mask in public since the start of the outbreak.
“The
president should be an example. Real men wear masks, be an example to
the country, wear a mask,” Pelosi said in an interview on ABC’s “This
Week.” “It’s not about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting
others.”
Mask wearing has become a point of contention across the U.S.,
despite research showing that face coverings prevent coronavirus
transmission.
U.S. coronavirus cases surged by more than 45,000 in one day on
Friday, a record breaking spike that brought the nation’s total to more
than 2.5 million cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins
University.
Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday deflected a
question about a federal mandate requiring Americans to wear masks, and
said people should listen to what state and local officials are saying
about wearing masks in public.
The
vice president said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that
“every state has a unique situation” and “we believe people should wear
masks wherever social distancing is not possible.”
