Joe Biden Criticized For Violating His Mask Mandate & Coughing In His Hand
Not long after facing criticism for violating his mask mandate during a visit to the Lincoln Memorial, President Joe Biden is taking flak for again failing to wear a mask on federal property — as his recent executive order dictates.
“Biden is again violating his mask mandate by not wearing a mask while in the White House, which is federal property, in a room with other people,” Daily Wire reporter Ryan Saavedra tweeted in response to a video clip.
During the same clip, Biden was also seen coughing in his hand, which Saavedra noted is against guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“He also was coughing in his hand, which goes against CDC recommendations,” he wrote.
Biden’s mask mandate requires social distancing and face coverings in all federal buildings and properties. In addition, it requires individuals on trains, transit systems, and airplanes traveling between states to wear protective coverings.
In response to criticism for his Lincoln Memorial appearance, White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested that the team took various precautions against the pandemic and underlined that the head of state was celebrating his historic victory.
Regardless, Biden continues to face criticism for flouting public health precautions. In addition to violating his mask mandate, Saavedra noted that the head of state also appeared to ignore the advice he had received about coughing.
“Biden has been repeatedly told, including by left-wing CNN, not to cough in his hands,” he tweeted in response to an interview between Biden and CNN’s Jake Tapper.
“You know, you’re supposed to cough into your elbow,” Tapper told the then-presidential candidate.
“I learned that, actually, covering your White House,” Tapper added.
According to CTV News, both coughing and talking can spread coronavirus. Notably, the publication pointed to a study from researchers at the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London that found a prolonged conversation between two maskless individuals in a poorly ventilated space is significantly more likely to spread COVID-19-infected respiratory droplets than coughing.
“The results suggest it takes just a couple of seconds for exhaled particles to travel beyond two meters and may linger for up to an hour after an infected person spoke – even if only for 30 seconds,” CTV News wrote.
Biden has focused his early actions as president on combating the pandemic and increasing the speed of vaccination rollout across America. Per CNN, sources claim that Biden and his team are inheriting a non-existent vaccine distribution plan from Donald Trump’s administration, which notoriously claimed that it was not attempting to control the spread of the pandemic.
