President-elect Joe Biden announced he would urge all Americans to wear face masks to curb the coronavirus’s spread during the first 100 days of his administration and release a “standing order” that would require facial coverings inside federal buildings and on all interstate transportation.
On Thursday, Biden also said during an interview that he had recently discussed with top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci about the medical professional maintaining his position and join the Democrat’s administration.
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has been seated in his position since being appointed during the Reagan administration. However, Biden noted that Fauci would be advising the president directly in his administration, giving him an outsized role.
Biden said, “I asked him to stay on the exact same role he’s had for the past several presidents, and I asked him to be a chief medical adviser for me as well, and be part of the COVID team.” The president-elect added his chief of staff, Ron Klain, had the chance to work closely with Fauci during the 2014 Ebola crisis.
The president-elect said he would require face masks in places that the federal government has the authority. Biden added he would urge citizens to wear masks for the first 100 days of his administration, confidently saying it would stifle the number of new cases the U.S. recorded, News Max reported.
Additionally, Biden said he would look for guidance from three of his predecessors, namely Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Barack Obama. The three ex-presidents have volunteered to publicly get vaccinated with the COVID-19 treatment in an attempt to encourage others to do the same.
Biden said he was willing to support the previous presidents after Fauci expressed his recommendations of the coronavirus vaccine being safe.
