Coronavirus Crisis: Trump Announces New Face Mask Recommendations

WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Donald Trump announced new guidance from the White House on Friday afternoon, saying the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were advising the use of “non-medical cloth based” face coverings. But he emphasized the recommendations were voluntary and that he, for one, would not partake. “I don’t think I’m going to be doing it,” he said. After weeks of insisting Americans should not wear face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus — and even suggesting their use could increase the chance of infection — administration officials this week engaged in a heated internal debate over reversing course, according to people familiar with the matter. US President Donald Trump, flanked by US Vice President Mike Pence, speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 3, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images) Behind the scenes, officials were divided about the wisdom of advising Americans to cover their faces in public, which some fear could cause a lapse in the social distancing efforts that remain officials’ best hope of preventing further spread. At stake was another turnabout for a White House that has sown confusion with its response to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the nation. The debate over masks has come to encapsulate a federal effort marked by repeated reversals, conflicting...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Boston News Health CDC Coronavirus President Donald Trump Source Type: news