White House may recommend broader use of face masks.
Trump administration formalizing plan for those in hard-hit areas
Washington — The Trump administration is formalizing new guidance to recommend that many Americans wear face coverings when leaving home, in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
The recommendations, still being finalized Thursday, would apply to those who live in areas hard-hit by community transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. A person familiar with the White House coronavirus task force’s discussion said officials would suggest that non-medical masks, T-shirts or bandannas be used to cover the nose and mouth when outside the home — for instance, at the grocery store or pharmacy. Medical-grade masks, particularly short-in-supply N95 masks, would be reserved for those dealing directly with the sick.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the proposed guidance before its public release.
Trump tests negative in latest result
Trump, who was tested again for COVID-19 on Thursday using a new rapid test, indicated Tuesday he would support such a recommendation, potentially even for all Americans regardless of where they live. “I would say do it, but use a scarf if you want, you know, rather than going out and getting a mask or whatever.”
“It’s not a bad idea, at least for a period of time,” he added.
The White House said Trump’s latest test returned a negative result in 15 minutes, and said Trump was “healthy and without symptoms.”
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention draft of the guidance suggested the covering recommendation apply to nearly all Americans, all over the country, according to a federal official who has seen the draft but was not authorized to discuss it.
But officials were moving to limit its geographic scope to just those areas where the virus was spreading rapidly, the official said. The formal announcement was expected as soon as today.
Under the previous guidance, only the sick or those at high risk of complications from the respiratory illness were advised to wear masks. The new proposal was driven by research showing that some infections are being spread by people who seem to be healthy.
On Wednesday, Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, urged his city’s 4 million residents to wear masks when they’re in public. On Thursday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio followed suit in his city, the epicenter of the virus’ spread in the U.S.
The discussions on the new guidance came as the White House moved aggressively to defend its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly its efforts to speed the distribution of protective equipment needed by medical professionals and ventilators.
Trump sent a politically tinged letter to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York objecting to his criticism of the administration’s response. “The Federal Government is merely a backup for state governments,” Trump wrote. “Unfortunately, your state needed far more of a backup than most others.”
In response to recent studies, the CDC on Wednesday changed how it was defining the risk of infection for Americans. It essentially says anyone may be a considered a carrier, whether they have symptoms or not.