Joe Biden calls for a nationwide mask mandate as he pushes his plan to combat coronavirus

WASHINGTON — Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, called for a nationwide mask mandate on Thursday, drawing a sharp contrast with President Donald Trump, who rarely wears a mask himself and opposes such mandates. 

“Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum,” Biden said at a press appearance in Wilmington, Delaware. “Every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing. The estimates by the experts are that it will save over 40,000 lives in the next three months. Forty thousand lives, if people act responsibly.”

“It’s not about your rights. It’s about your responsibilities as an American,” said Biden, flipping the script on Republicans who argue that mandates infringe on an individual’s right not to wear one.

The coronavirus has infected more than 5.2 million people in the United States, killing more than 166,000.

Later Thursday, the campaign released an ad pushing Biden’s plan to beat back the coronavirus.

The former vice president was joined on stage by his newly announced running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, who spoke after he did.

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/13/joe-biden-calls-for-a-nationwide-mask-mandate-to-combat-coronavirus.html