Vice President Mike Pence refused to wear a mask on Tuesday as he toured the Mayo Clinic and met with hospital staff and a patient, rejecting the famed hospital’s policy that all visitors cover their faces to reduce Covid-19 risks.
Pence last week made plans to visit the Rochester, Minn., institution after it announced a coronavirus testing “moonshot” to combat the current outbreak. His decision not to wear a mask — even as he was surrounded by others who followed the policy — was widely derided by public health experts on Tuesday afternoon.
Pence’s decision comes at a time when many public health experts are urging people to wear masks and local officials view the use of masks as crucial in efforts to reopen the economy. Some officials — like Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), who greeted Pence upon his arrival in the state on Tuesday — have worn masks in public appearances. But many Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have rejected those recommendations for themselves. Pence declined to wear masks in previous public appearances, including visits to the Air Force Academy and a GE Healthcare site last week. After discussing recommendations to wear masks, Trump said at a news briefing on April 3 that “I don’t see it for myself.”
Source: politico.com
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