Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pence Defies Mask Rule As He Tours Mayo Clinic Confident He Doesn't Have Virus
The New York Times: Pence Tours Mayo Clinic And Flouts Its Rule That All Visitors Wear A Mask
The Mayo Clinic, the renowned medical center in Minnesota, has a clear policy in place during the coronavirus outbreak that any visitor should wear a protective face mask. But when a delegation of Trump administration officials arrived at the clinic on Tuesday to thank the doctors there for their work on the virus, one person decided to flout the rule: Vice President Mike Pence, the chairman of the White House coronavirus task force. (Karni, 4/28)
The Associated Press: Pence Comes Under Fire For Going Maskless At Mayo Clinic
Video feeds show that Pence did not wear a mask when he met with a Mayo employee who has recovered from COVID-19 and is now donating plasma, even though everyone else in the room appeared to be wearing one. He was also maskless when he visited a lab where Mayo conducts coronavirus tests. (4/28)
The Washington Post: Pence Meets With Mayo Clinic Patients, Staff While Not Wearing Face Mask Despite Coronavirus Outbreak
Asked by reporters later about his decision not to wear a mask, Pence noted that he is frequently tested for coronavirus and so didn’t need to wear one. “As vice president of the United States, I’m tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus,” Pence said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance states that masks are helpful for preventing the transmission of the coronavirus because even people who do not show symptoms can still spread the virus, particularly in “public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. (Sonmez, 4/28)
NPR: Pence Comments On Not Wearing Protective Masks
"And since I don't have the coronavirus, I thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel, and look them in the eye and say thank you." Instructions on the Mayo Clinic website request that all patients, visitors and personnel bring and wear a face mask to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Wise, 4/28)
The Hill: Pence Flouts Mayo Clinic Policy By Not Wearing Face Covering
Pence and other top administration officials have seldom been seen wearing face coverings in public settings. President Trump announced on April 3 the new CDC guidance encouraging the use of masks to try and cut down on the spread of the coronavirus, particularly from those who may be asymptomatic. But Trump immediately undercut the advice by insisting he would not wear one himself. "I don't know, somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk ... I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don't know," he said. "Somehow, I don't see it for myself. I just don’t. (Samuels, 4/28)
