President Biden on Wednesday criticized leaders in Texas and Mississippi for ending their statewide mask mandates before all Americans have access to a vaccine. Mr. Biden said it was ‘Neanderthal thinking’ to believe that ‘in the meantime everything is fine, take off your masks’.
Republican governors in Texas and Mississippi this week announced the lifting of their mask mandates before states finish vaccinating seniors and vulnerable populations. The Centers for Disease Control and federal health officials have said now is not the time to stop being vigilant, especially given the proliferation of variants.
“I think it’s a big mistake,” the president told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “Look, I hope everyone realizes by now that these masks make a difference. We are about to fundamentally change the nature of this. Disease because of the way we can get vaccines into people’s arms. can move until the end of May to have enough for every American, to give every adult American a shot. It’s just. It still matters. ”
Those comments come after the president’s announcement that the US will have enough vaccine delivery to cover all Americans at the end of May. It will take longer to master those shots.
The president has consistently reminded Americans to wear masks and has made it a point to wear one himself, even after receiving both doses of the vaccine. He has urged all Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days in office – although health officials believe Americans will have to wear masks for longer.
As elsewhere, businesses in Texas and Mississippi will still be able to require customers to wear masks, and under Mr. Biden’s direction, everyone on federal property in those states will continue to wear masks.