U.S. surgeon general Dr. Jerome Adams is encouraging people to wear a mask if they go out this weekend as Americans celebrate Independence Day.
Amid the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic and recent spikes in cases in several states, many Americans are expecting to see a different Fourth of July as they may stay at home or hold virtual gatherings.
This weekend marks the country’s 244th year of independence.
When asked if he would “advise someone to go to a large gathering, yes or no” during Friday’s “Today” show interview, Adams said, “It’s not a yes or no.”
“Every single person has to make up their own mind,” he continued. “There are going to be people going to beaches, going to barbecues, going to different environments and they have to look at their individual risk.”
The U.S. surgeon general went on to note the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that “larger gatherings are a higher risk.”
“You have to take that into account again with whether or not you’re at risk, whether you live with someone who is vulnerable,” Adams said. He continued:
“And then you have to take measures to stay safe and the most important thing I would say to people is if you do go out to a gathering or in public, please wear a face covering.”
“It’s important to understand that if we all wear [masks] we will actually have more independence and more freedom because more places will be able to stay open and we’ll have less spread of the disease,” Adams said.
See Adams’ comments below:
President Trump will host two large gatherings this weekend in Washington, D.C. and at Mount Rushmore with masks not being required, @CraigMelvin asks U.S. @Surgeon_General Jerome Adams whether he would advise people to attend large gatherings like these. pic.twitter.com/5oFiM1eDcz
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 3, 2020
Adams’ remarks come as the president is expected to host two large gatherings over the weekend.
President Donald Trump is expected to address a large group at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota on Friday. The South Dakota governor said that free masks will be handed out but masks are not required and there will be no social distancing, as IJR reported.
The other event Trump will host is in Washington, D.C., on July 4.
This comes as at least eight states have reported increases in daily coronavirus cases.