U.S. President-elect Joe Biden said he plans to require masks to be worn nationwide after taking office in January as the country sees a surge in COVID-19 infections.
Speaking to a group of senior state governors Thursday, Biden said wearing masks to prevent the possible spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 250,000 Americans to date, was “not a political statement.”
“It’s a patriotic duty,” said Biden, who won the US presidential election on November 3rd, the results of which are still contested by President Donald Trump and his supporters.
The U.S. has recorded 11.6 million COVID-19 cases and more than 250,000 deaths since the pandemic started earlier this year, Johns Hopkins University reported.
According to the New York Times, the number of new cases is growing rapidly across the country, averaging over 162,000 a day, and several states have put restrictions in place in recent weeks to stop the spread of infection.
In a remark to the media, the US President-elect outlined political priorities in his plan to defeat COVID-19 [Tom Brenner/Reuters]Biden said he does not intend to force a nationwide shutdown of the U.S. economy but expects limited restrictions due to specific local conditions.
“It won’t shut down. The calibration is based on the threat, ”Biden said during a press conference following his meeting with ten leading Republican and Democratic governors.
Biden met virtually with members of the National Governor’s Association executive committee that included Republican Governors Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Gary Herbert of Utah, Larry Hogan of Maryland, and Kay Ivey of Alabama.
It was the first time since the election that Biden met Republican officials in public.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Jared Polis of Colorado and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan joined the call, along with members of the President von Biden’s transition team.
Economic relief
Providing economic aid to cities, states and tribal communities affected by the pandemic is a top priority, said Biden, who also called on US Congress to provide funding to states and communities in a COVID-19 relief bill.
So far, Trump and Senate Republicans have spoken out against such funding.
Biden said a major public education campaign was needed to prepare Americans for the “fair” distribution of a “safe” and “free vaccine.”
Several US states have seen spikes in COVID-19 infections in the past few weeks, prompting them to put new restrictions in place [File: Kathy Willens/AP]Meanwhile, President-elect Trump proposed for refusing to recognize the election result, calling the president’s baseless attacks on electoral practices in key states “irresponsible”.
The public is “witnessing an incredible irresponsibility and an incredibly damaging message to the rest of the world about how democracy works,” said Biden. “Most Republicans I’ve spoken to, including some governors, think this is debilitating. It sends a terrible message. “
He also continued to express frustration that Emily Murphy, the General Services Administration secretary of the Trump administration, has not yet named him the obvious election winner, which would enable a formal transition process under the law.
“Until she does, we don’t have access to all of the information we need from the various agencies,” said Biden.
National response planned
Still, Biden said his advisory board will work with COVID-19 teams in the governors’ offices to further develop a national response to the pandemic.
He also said that as president he will work to help states fight the pandemic.
“Now, on vacation, you’re facing another surge … including tremendous pressure on your hospitals,” Biden told governors, according to a pool report. “You need help. I want you to know that I will be your partner in the White House.”
Several states have put new restrictions in place in recent weeks to help contain the spread of the virus.
After a sharp spike in the number of COVID-19 hospital stays in Arkansas, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced Thursday that bars and restaurants must close at 11:00 p.m. every day through January 2021.
“Today we implemented the first recommendation from the COVID-19 Winter Task Force, and I will address hospital capacity tomorrow,” Hutchinson said in a statement.
Arkansas has nearly 17,000 active cases of COVID-19, with more than 400 new cases being added daily. According to state health authorities, 146 people were currently ventilated in hospitals.
The U.S. Department of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on Thursday urged Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving Day on November 26 to avoid the spread of the deadly virus.
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