The White House just released this new face mask policy

For months, major health agencies, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), have stressed the importance of wearing masks to curb the spread. of the novel coronavirus. And although many state and local officials across the United States have issued warrants regarding their constituencies, no federal ordinance on the use of face masks has yet been issued. But in the first executive order issued by the new White House resident, President Joe biden, a new policy will now require that a face mask be worn on all federal property across the country. Read on to see what changes the ruling will bring, and for more on how to get the most out of your PPE, check out The most popular mask may also be the least effective, according to the study.

According to Jeff Zients, an adviser to President Biden who will be the administration’s COVID-19 response coordinator: “This executive action will order agencies to take action to demand compliance with CDC guidelines on mask wearing and physical distancing in federal buildings, on federal lands, and by federal employees and contractors. ”And although the ordinance does not apply to all public spaces, officials hope local lawmakers will follow their lead. provide.

“The president will call on governors, public health officials, mayors, business leaders and others to implement masking, physical distancing and other public measures to control COVID-19,” Zients said, adding that “this is not a political statement. is about the health of our families and the economic recovery of our country.”

The new federal mandate is part of the new administration’s “100 Days Masking Challenge”, which was previously described by the then president-elect. The new initiative calls on all Americans to wear a mask for 100 days to help curb the spread of the coronavirus while the vaccines roll out.

“It’s important that we, the president and the vice-president, set the pattern by wearing masks,” Biden said in an interview with CNN. Jake tapper in December. “Just 100 days to mask. Not forever. Hundred days. And I think we’ll see a significant reduction … If that happens, with the vaccinations and the masking, it will bring the numbers down dramatically.” And for more on what could be to come in the pandemic, check out The CDC just issued this grim warning about the COVID surge.

While face masks are a deeply contentious political issue, the scientific community broadly agrees that this move is likely to help in the long run. This is especially true as the wintry weather has forced more people to congregate indoors, increasing the risk of the virus spreading.

“We have high levels of community transmission across the country”, Chris Beyrer, MD, professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, told NBC Today. “With this rate of community transmission, with the infectious nature of this virus and with the weather conditions we face (leading to) activity indoors, this truly constant mask wearing could have a major impact on reducing community transmission. “

Even though the latest policy will not establish a national mask mandate, there are other senior officials who have argued that such a policy could be too high. This includes Anthony Fauci, MD, who has previously expressed concern that overly strict rules may make some people Less ready to put on PPE.

In an interview with the editor of Kaiser Health News EElisabeth Rosenthal which was published in The New York Times November 19, Fauci explained why he had failed to support a nationwide mask mandate: “The only reason I avoid making a strong recommendation in this regard is that things that come from the national level down usually spawn a bit of a backlash from an already reluctant population that doesn’t like it. ‘we tell him what to do,’ he explained. “So you might end up having the counter effect of people pushing back even more.” And to learn more about what can lower your risk of getting coronavirus, check out The One Thing You Can Stop Doing To Avoid COVID, Doctors Say.