As coronavirus cases spike around the country, President Biden and his top public health officials are pleading with states to enforce mask mandates and other safety measures to get the virus under control. Lax enforcement of basic COVID safety measures like mask wearing and limits on public gatherings is threatening to upend the hard-earned progress President Biden has made to defeat the pandemic and get Americans vaccinated at a record pace.
BACKGROUND
HEADLINE: “GOP Governors Ignore Biden’s Latest Plea On Mask Mandates.” [ABC News, 3/30/21]
- Although President Biden Urged States To Stick With Mask Mandates, GOP Governors Are Ignoring His Pleas. “President Joe Biden’s pleas for states to stick with mask mandates to slow the spread of the coronavirus were being largely ignored Tuesday as several Republican governors stayed on track to drop the requirement in their states. Biden and the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a day earlier that this is no time to relax safety measures. […] But Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison announced Tuesday he is dropping the state’s mask mandate immediately, a day earlier than previously announced.” [ABC News, 3/30/21]
HEADLINE: “Biden Pushes Mask Mandate As C.D.C. Director Warns Of ‘Impending Doom.’” [New York Times, 3/29/21]
- President Biden Called On Governors To Reinstate Mask Mandates As The CDC Director Warned Of “Impending Doom.” “President Biden, facing a rise in coronavirus cases around the country, called on Monday for governors and mayors to reinstate mask mandates as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of ‘impending doom’ from a potential fourth surge of the pandemic. The president’s comments came only hours after the C.D.C. director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, appeared to fight back tears as she pleaded with Americans to ‘hold on a little while longer’ and continue following public health advice, like wearing masks and social distancing, to curb the virus’s spread.” [New York Times, 3/29/21]
HEADLINE: “Biden Calls On State And Local Officials To ‘Please’ Reinstate The Mask Mandate.” [CNN, 3/29/21]
HEADLINE: “The Latest: Biden Urges Americans To ‘Stick With The Rules.’” [Associated Press, 3/11/21]
- President Biden Urged Americans To Remain Caution And Warned That States May Need To Reinstate Restrictions If People Fail To Stay Vigilant. “President Joe Biden is urging Americans to ‘stick with the rules’ as he wraps up his address to the nation on the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. He is voicing optimism that the United States will edge toward a semblance of normalcy in the coming months, noting ‘there is hope and light of better days ahead if we all do our part.’ But the president is also warning that ‘we may have to reinstate restrictions’ if Americans fail to stay vigilant about social distancing and other precautions to help stem the virus. Biden says, ‘Please, we don’t want to do that again, we’ve made so much progress,’ adding, ‘This is not the time to let up.’” [Associated Press, 3/11/21]
HEADLINE: “Biden Urges Vigilance From All Americans On Virus.” [Yahoo News, 3/11/21]
HEADLINE: “‘Big Mistake’: Biden Slams States For Prematurely Lifting Covid Precautions.” [Kaiser Health News, 3/4/21]
HEADLINE: “President Biden On States Lifting Mask Mandates: ‘The Last Thing We Need Is Neanderthal Thinking.’” [USA Today, 3/3/21]
- Biden Said It Was A Big Mistake For States To Lift Pandemic Restrictions, Calling It A Result Of “Neanderthal Thinking.” “President Joe Biden on Wednesday said it’s a ‘big mistake’ for states to lift pandemic restrictions, calling it a result of ‘Neanderthal thinking.’ In brief remarks before meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to discuss ways to fight cancer, Biden said it’s important to listen to the recommendations of scientists, especially as the nation is on the cusp of turning things around with the coronavirus vaccines. ‘The last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that, in the meantime, everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it,’ he said. ‘It still matters.’ His comments came the day after the GOP governors of Texas and Mississippi said they’re lifting COVID-19 restrictions, including mask mandates. ‘I think it’s a big mistake,’ Biden said. “I hope everybody’s realized by now these masks make a difference.’” [USA Today, 3/3/21]
HEADLINE: “Biden Advisers Urge State COVID-19 Safety After Iowa Lifts Mask And Social Distancing Rules.” [Iowa Capital Dispatch, 2/8/21]
- “The Biden administration’s COVID-19 advisers on Monday urged that states keep safety restrictions in place as new variants of the virus continue to spread, following a move by Iowa’s governor to loosen rules on masks and gatherings. ‘We really need to keep all of the mitigation measures at play here if we’re really going to get control of this pandemic,’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said.” [Iowa Capital Dispatch, 2/8/21]
HEADLINE: “Biden Orders Tougher Mask Rules As Part Of COVID-19 Strategy Overhaul.” [Virginia Mercury, 1/22/21]
- Biden Signed Two Executive Orders, One Instituting Mask-Wearing On Federal Property And The Other Instituting Mask Wearing On Airplanes, Trains, And Other Public Transportation. “One of the initial executive orders he signed Wednesday requires mask-wearing and physical distancing in all federal buildings, on all federal lands, and by federal employees and contractors, plus a broad call for Americans to mask up during the next 100 days. He followed that on Thursday with another mask-wearing directive — requiring their use on airplanes, trains and other public transportation — as well as rolling out a national strategy for combating the virus.” [Virginia Mercury, 1/22/21]