Vice President Mike Pence is facing a new round of criticism after he travelled to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota on Tuesday to learn about the research of treatments for the coronavirus.
However, he was quickly criticized after pictures showed he did not wear a face mask during his visit.
Check out some of the reactions below:
https://twitter.com/ErickFernandez/status/1255204096916828161
On April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance that recommends Americans wear face coverings when they go out in public. And on April 13, the Mayo Clinic released its own guidance that requires patients and visitors to wear masks.
The Mayo Clinic tweeted, the deleted the tweet and released an email statement, that said it had notified Pence of its mask guidance, “Mayo shared the masking policy with the VP’s office.”
Speaking to reporters, Pence said, “As Vice President of the United States I’m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus.”
He added, “And since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers these incredible healthcare personnel and look them in the eye and say thank you.”
https://twitter.com/kathrynw5/status/1255233985300529159
Pence is not the only administration official to resist wearing a mask in public. After the CDC’s guidance was released, President Donald Trump said he would most likely not wear a mask.
“I just don’t want to be doing, somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful resolute desk, the great resolute desk,” Trump said, adding, “I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know somehow I don’t see it for myself.”
According to Axios, Pence has not worn a mask in public since the beginning of the Coronavirus Outbreak.