Vice President Mike Pence admitted that he should have worn a protective face mask when he visited the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota last week without one.
“I didn’t think it was necessary, but I should have worn a mask at the Mayo Clinic,” Pence said. He also reiterated that he is tested regularly for the virus but has never tested positive.
Last Tuesday, Pence made the decision to not wear a mask after the facility said it asked him ahead of time to do so. That led to sharp criticism across Washington and elsewhere of whether he set the right example as the leader of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
Two days later, Karen Pence defended her husband on “Fox and Friends,” saying he did not learn about the Mayo Clinic’s policy until after his visit.
Not wearing a mask is a violation of the renowned health center’s strict new coronavirus policies designed to protect patients.
Despite that, the vice president was still allowed to be escorted around the facility, where he also met with a masked coronavirus patient on camera. As Pence made the rounds, he thanked workers, exchanged elbow bumps and stood closer to people than the 6 feet of distance recommended by federal health officials.
After the tour, Pence defended his decision not to wear a mask during the visit, saying he was within the CDC guidelines.
“As vice president of the United States I’m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus,” Pence told reporters. “And since I don’t have the coronavirus, I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say thank you.”
Two days later, the vice president toured a General Motors plant in Kokomo, Indiana, with a mask on. It was the first time the vice president was seen wearing one of the protective face coverings in public.
By Sunday, Pence said he should have started wearing a mask sooner.
Pence appeared alongside President Donald Trump during a Fox News Channel town hall broadcast from the Lincoln Memorial when he made the admission.
The town hall featured video questions from viewers, and the president projected the total U.S. death toll to grow to as many as 100,000 — up from the 60,000 he suggested just weeks ago.
In early April, Trump said he would not follow the CDC guidance to wear a face mask in public.
“I just don’t want to wear one myself, it’s a recommendation,” Trump said at the time.
There are many risk factors for the virus, even for those who are regularly tested and appear healthy, according to health officials who cite faulty diagnostic testing and the potential for new infections between tests.
The latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta also recommend facial coverings especially because asymptomatic people could still potentially spread COVID-19.
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