CDC recommends voluntary face mask use

Transcript

In Friday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing, the Centers for Disease Control provided an update on Americans wearing face coverings.

The CDC recommends Americans voluntarily wear a basic cloth or fabric mask that can be purchased online or made at home and can be easily washed and reused.

The announcement came one day after a panel of experts advised the White House on new research that suggests coronavirus could be spread by talking or just breathing.

However a senior federal health official involved in the discussions says the CDC felt intense pressure by the White House to draft guidelines on face mask usage.

Officials with the CDC say they would’ve preferred to learn more about asymptomatic transmission before making a recommendation.

And some worried a recommendation may give people a false sense of security.

The nation’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci stresses that masks should be used as additional protection not as a substitute for social distancing.

And because the guidelines are voluntary, Trump says he will not wear a face covering.

But officials in Los Angeles are not taking any chances.

As of Friday all police officers are required to wear a surgical mass or nonmedical face coverings while in public.

Posted – 4.4.20