In a socially-distanced interview, a masked-Joe Biden said that he would make mask-use mandatory in public if he won in November.
During a brief interview with a local CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh, Joe Biden discussed how he would handle the COVID-19 pandemic differently than President Trump has. One thing that Biden mentioned was mandatory mask-use in public.
Former Vice President Joe Biden said he “would do everything possible” to ensure that Americans wear masks in public if elected president. Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, told CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA that wearing a mask in public helps to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“I would go back to making sure that everybody had masks,” Biden said. Both he and the interviewer wore masks and stood eight feet apart.
“The one thing we do know is that these masks make a gigantic difference. I would insist that everybody in public be wearing that masks,” Biden continued. “I would do everything possible to make it required that people have to wear masks in public.”
Source: CBS News
Although it has been fashionable to tout mask-wearing lately, Biden exaggerated that masks are making a “gigantic difference” in slowing the spread of the virus.
The CDC is now recommending cloth masks in public where social distancing is difficult, especially in areas of “significant community-based transmission,” and gives the example of grocery stores and pharmacies–both enclosed spaces. The CDC also notes that the “cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders.”
The World Health Organization, which has bungled the handling of this pandemic from the beginning, says that asymptomatic spread of coronavirus is “rare” but Dr. Fauci disputes this saying that there is a difference between “asymptomatic” and “pre-symptomatic” spread.”
According to the CDC, social distancing is perhaps the most effective way to slow the spread of the virus.
It should be noted that scientists are still debating the efficacy of mask-use by healthy individuals. Not all masks are the same, and a properly fitted N95 mask is vastly different from a homemade cotton mask. Also, wearing a mask indoors where social distancing is difficult makes more sense than wearing a mask outdoors where people are maintaining a social distance of 6 feet or more.
It’s unclear exactly what Biden meant by this, if it was just in enclosed spaces, or if he’s insisting on going the route of California that requires masks not just inside, but even when waiting in a socially-distanced line outside to enter a building.
The interviewer and Biden remained 8 feet apart and wore masks throughout the interview…except for one brief moment when the former Vice President pulled down his mask to make a point.
When KDKA’s Ken Rice asked Biden if he could imagine himself wearing a mask taking the Oath of Office, Biden pulled his mask down and said that masks aren’t necessary when maintaining a proper social distance. When Rice pushed him saying, “it gets crowded on those Capitol steps, though” and Biden responded, “but you don’t have to have it crowded.”
WATCH: Joe Biden easily gets tricked into taking his mask off. pic.twitter.com/ac0pIwItWo
— Francis Brennan (@FrancisBrennan) June 26, 2020
Even Joe Biden admits that sometimes masks in public aren’t necessary, but he’ll still make it mandatory.
It’s fine for Biden to take off his mask when unnecessary, but not you plebs.
Let’s be frank here, Biden isn’t great with his mask use, either. It seems that he’s using it as a thing that distinguishes himself from President Trump. He wore a mask during a livestream in his own home which is just silly. He then had trouble taking it off.
This has to be the fakest stunt Joe Biden could have possibly pulled during his NowThis News live stream.
Biden then even struggled to take off the mask.
WATCH: pic.twitter.com/3jckwS6Zgg
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 8, 2020
On another occasion, while he was in public, Biden pulled down his mask and promptly touched his face. (Perhaps he licked his fingers as Steve Guest tweeted, but it looks to me that he wiped his lips because those masks can get pretty hot while speaking.)
Joe Biden takes his mask off, promptly licks his fingers.
No wonder Biden keeps hiding in his basement. pic.twitter.com/usAWcC7529
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) June 17, 2020
This is the guy that is talking about the “science” of mask use?
Democrats are giddily trying to mandate everything at the federal level, but this would be much better handled at the local level. After all, rural Montana isn’t the same as Midtown Manhattan.
