Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he would issue a nationwide mask requirement if elected, CNN reports.
"The one thing we do know is these masks make a gigantic difference. I would insist that everybody out in public be wearing that mask,” Biden told reporters on Thursday. “Anyone to reopen would have to make sure that they walked into a business that had masks.”
Asked if he would use federal power to require a mask in public, Biden replied, “Yes, I would. From an executive standpoint, yes, I would.”
"I would do everything possible to make it required that people had to wear masks in public,” he added.
Trump thinks masks a “double-edged sword”:
Biden’s comments a departure from President Donald Trump’s claims about masks, which the CDC recommends everyone wear in public.
Trump claimed to the Wall Street Journal that he thinks masks to spite him and were a “double-edged sword.”
"People come in, they're talking through the mask for hours. They probably don't clean them after, you know, they get a little cocky, right?” he said. “Then they take the mask, they put their finger on the mask, and they take them off, and then they start touching their eyes and touching their nose and their mouth. And then they don't know how they caught it.”
Texas revokes ban:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott previously banned cities in the state from issuing mask requirements. He had a massive change of heart after the state’s coronavirus infections skyrocketed.
Earlier this week, Abbott allowed cities to impose mask requirements and pleaded for residents to wear them.
“Closing down Texas again will always be the last option,” he said. “When you go out, you should wear a face covering or face mask.”
