Pence Defies Mayo Clinic Guidelines By Not Wearing A Mask During An Official Visit

TOPLINE

Vice President Mike Pence drew criticism from the Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic on Tuesday for flouting the clinic’s rules during an official visit and not wearing a face mask, raising questions about the White House’s inconsistent messaging during the pandemic.

KEY FACTS

Chief critic

Pence’s refusal to wear a mask raised questions about the White House’s commitment to following its own guidance to combat the coronavirus and prompted worry that the vice president was setting a bad example.

“When you don’t wear a mask, especially inside the Mayo Clinic, you are not being brave. You are showing that you think the rules don’t apply to you. And you are setting a dangerous example by ignoring experts,” Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), tweeted.

Key background

Both Pence and President Donald Trump have rarely worn face masks in public. In the same press briefing where the CDC announced its recommendation for face coverings, Trump himself said he wasn’t going to wear one. 

“Well, I just don’t want to wear one myself.  It’s a recommendation; they recommend it,” he said.

News peg

Though U.S. testing capacity has ramped up significantly since February where early missteps hampered the country’s ability to quickly test and isolate infected people, public health experts say millions of more tests are needed to open up the country. The White House released its official testing strategy on Monday, which puts the onus on states to come up with their own testing plans, but critics assailed the effort as “inadequate.” 

Further reading

How To Stop Face Masks From Fogging Up Your Glasses (Forbes)

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