Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, admitted that he is concerned about the lack of regard for mask-wearing at President Donald Trump’s rallies despite the ongoing pandemic.
Fauci appeared on “CBS This Morning” with host Gayle King where he was asked if the lack of masks at Trump’s rallies are “frustrating” to him. He reiterated his previous stance as he admitted that it is.
“Is that frustrating to you?” King asked.
“Well, yes it is, and I’ve said that often,” Fauci told King on Wednesday. “That situation is we want to set an example.”
The top infectious disease expert went on to note that all public health experts are aware of the mitigation efforts that need to be taken to slow the spread of the virus. He also stressed the importance of “a universal wearing of masks.”
He added, “We know when you do four or five typical kinds of public health measures: masks, physical distance, avoiding crowds, making sure you do most things outdoors vs. indoors. Those are the kinds of things that turn around surges and also prevent us from getting surges. So I’d certainly like to see a universal wearing of masks.”
See Fauci’s remarks below:
The president continues to hold massive rallies where people are not wearing masks, including the president himself. Is it frustrating to you? — @GayleKing
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) September 9, 2020
Dr. Fauci: "Well, yes, it is. I've said that often… I certainly would like to see universal wearing of masks." pic.twitter.com/y0tCzoMePN
Mask-wearing has been a point of contention throughout the pandemic. As a result of Trump’s initial disdain for masks, many of his supporters have also refused to wear masks.
Although the president did urge his supporters to consider wearing masks due to the surge in coronavirus cases over the summer, Trump’s recent rallies have shown that mask mandates are still widely ignored among his supporters.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 6.5 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the United States as the death toll approaches 200,000.