[ad_1]
The White House has defended Joe Biden’s criticism of Republican governors in Texas and Mississippi, after the president called their decisions to end mask terms of “Neanderthal thinking.”
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, pointed out that the president compared the actions of governors to “the behavior of a Neanderthal, to be very clear, the behavior.” She also said Biden’s comments were “a reflection of his frustration” that Americans are not following public health guidelines to limit their risk of contracting coronavirus.
“I don’t think his take on wearing the mask is a secret,” Psaki said during Thursday’s White House briefing. “And I’m sure when he talks to them next, he’ll pass it on to them directly.”
The US president said on Wednesday that the country was on the verge of “being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease” with the distribution of vaccines and added: “The last thing we need is for Neanderthals to think that between -time, all is well. “
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott hit back at Biden on Wednesday, telling CNBC the comment was “not the type of word a president should use.” Abbott, who has often been criticized for his anti-immigrant rhetoric, then accused the president of “releasing illegal immigrants in our communities who had Covid”, calling it “a Neanderthal-type approach to dealing with the Covid situation” .
Responding to Abbott’s comments on Thursday, Psaki said: “We are talking about facts here. It is not factual. She added that it was also the responsibility of states and local governments to test and trace.
Abbott appears to be referring to a recent report from Telemundo, which found that some migrants released by a border patrol in Brownsville, Texas subsequently tested positive for Covid-19. Since the city began testing in January, 108 migrants have tested positive, about 6% of all who have been tested, according to the report.
Abbott’s decision to reopen Texas and abandon his mask mandate runs counter to advice from senior U.S. health officials, who have repeatedly urged states not to completely lift Covid restrictions. 19 as they warned of a potential fourth increase in coronavirus cases fueled by new variants.
“We have been very clear that now is not the time to lift all restrictions. The next month or two is really crucial, ”said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday.
The president announced on Tuesday that the United States expected to have enough coronavirus vaccines for all adults by the end of May, two months ahead of schedule, after his administration announced that the Drugmaker Merck is reportedly helping produce rival Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last weekend for emergency use.
But officials in many states have eased restrictions, some more than others. Abbott decided to lift his state’s mask-wearing mandate and many other limitations, while Mississippi also rescinded his mask mandate from Wednesday.
Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has eased capacity limits for restaurants and public and residential gatherings. New York has announced that arts and entertainment could resume indoors, to 33% capacity, in April. In Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker said residents should continue to wear masks in public, but it was time to relax business limits further.
Texas will be the most populous US state that does not require residents to wear headgear.
The mayor of the state’s largest city, Houston, disagreed with the decision. “This is a step in the wrong direction, unless the governor tries to hijack what happened just over two weeks ago with the winter storm,” Sylvester Turner said, adding: “I am very disappointed … it doesn’t make sense. “
[ad_2]
Source link