Biden to ask Americans to wear masks for 100 days
US President-elect Joe Biden has said he will ask Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days in office to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
He told CNN he believed there would be a “significant reduction” in Covid-19 cases if every American wore a face covering.
Mr Biden also said he would order masks to be worn in all US government buildings.
The US has recorded 14.1 million cases and 276,000 deaths from Covid-19.
What did Biden say about masks?
In the interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Mr Biden said: “The first day I’m inaugurated to say I’m going to ask the public for 100 days to mask. Just 100 days to mask, not forever. One hundred days.
“And I think we’ll see a significant reduction if we occur that, if that occurs with vaccinations and masking to drive down the numbers considerably.”
Constitutional experts say a US president has no legal authority to order Americans to wear masks, but Mr Biden said during the interview he and his Vice-President Kamala Harris would set an example by donning face coverings.
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The president’s executive authority does cover US government property, and Mr Biden told CNN he intended to exercise such power.
“I’m going to issue a standing order that in federal buildings you have to be masked,” he said.
He added: “Transportation, interstate transportation, you must be masked, airplanes and busses, et cetera.”
US airlines, airports and most public transit systems already require all passengers and workers to wear face coverings.
The Trump White House has rejected calls from American health experts to mandate masks in transportation as “overly restrictive”.What will happen to Dr Fauci?
In the CNN interview, Mr Biden also said he would retain Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, as chief medical adviser to the new administration’s Covid-19 team.
In keeping on the public health official who is highly trusted by many Americans, Mr Biden cited the need to convince the public of a new vaccine’s safety.
The incoming president also mentioned Dr Fauci’s stance that “you don’t have to close down the economy like a lot of folks are talking about”.
What will happen to Dr Fauci?
In the CNN interview, Mr Biden also said he would retain Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, as chief medical adviser to the new administration’s Covid-19 team.
In keeping on the public health official who is highly trusted by many Americans, Mr Biden cited the need to convince the public of a new vaccine’s safety.
The incoming president also mentioned Dr Fauci’s stance that “you don’t have to close down the economy like a lot of folks are talking about”.
The Democrat said it was only “important in the sense that we are able to demonstrate the end of this chaos that he’s created, that there is peaceful transfer of power with the competing parties standing there, shaking hands and moving on”.
The two Democrats were also asked about reports that Mr Trump may issue pre-emptive presidential pardons for his adult children, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and even himself.
They pledged the justice department under the Biden-Harris administration would be free of any political meddling.
The vice-president-elect said: “Any decision coming out of the justice department… should be based on facts, it should be based on the law, it should not be influenced by politics, period.”
Mr Biden added: “And I guarantee you, that’s how it will be run.”
