Washington – The rise in the spread of COVID-19 in the United States this Sunday encouraged political leaders to ask that the president Donald Trump lead by example and wear a mask in public to encourage its use among the population.
With more than 2.5 million cases and 125,763 deaths, The United States does not give up the first place in the global statistics of sick and deceased by the pandemic, and has seen the number of infected have skyrocketed as local deconfusion plans advance.
This Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence traveled to the state of Texas, which together with Florida and Arizona have become the new epicenters of the disease in the country.
Florida lived a day of relief, with 8,530 new cases, which meant 1,055 fewer than the previous day, while California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the bars in Los Angeles and six other counties in the state to be closed to curb the spread.
Local media today reported 82 cases detected near the Michigan State University campus linked to a restaurant that announced the temporary closure of its doors.
Give the example
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Democrat Nancy Pelosi, considered this Sunday in an interview with the program “This week” that “It is time for this administration to take this seriously”.
“We are 4% of the world population. We are 25% of cases (of coronavirus) and deaths, 25%. We have the worst record of any country in the world and the president says that we are progressing or whatever, “he said.
Pelosi emphasized that it is a matter of “life and death”, defending the use of the mask as a tool to prevent the spread of a virus against which there is no vaccine or cure.
“And the president should be an example,” said the political leader, adding that “it is not about protecting yourself, it is about protecting others and their families.”
But requests to Trump also came from the Republican wing of Congress.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Republican Lamar Alexander, told CNN that he would like the president to wear a mask “when appropriate, because millions of Americans admire him and will follow his example.”
“It would also help to get rid of this political debate that if you are with President Trump you do not wear a mask and if you are against … you do wear it,” he added, according to local media.
Between the campaign and the pandemic
Pence appeared in public wearing a mask during his visit to Texas, which has recorded a record of more than 5,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations in recent days.
The vice president met with the state governor, Greg Abbott, who on Friday had to stop his plans to gradually reopen economic activities in the face of a sustained increase in infections in recent weeks.
“Our goal is to save lives as Texas continues to reopen its economy and help get this country back to work.”, assured the vice president in an appearance before the journalists.
The official encouraged young people to be tested, whether they have symptoms of the virus or not, and to use a facial covering “in the affected areas” and where “social distancing cannot be maintained.”
In addition, Pence noted that both Texas and Florida and other affected states have seen “a significant number of young Americans” infected.
Physician Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House working group against COVID-19 and who accompanied Pence, said they see an increase in the hospitalization rate in Texas of patients between 20 and 40 years old.
The expert indicated that the “asymptomatic spread” may be affecting people in this segment with other associated diseases, such as obesity or diabetes.
Pence also attended a meeting organized by the First Baptist Church of Dallas, where he spoke before a large group of people, many of them without facial covering and at a short distance, since it was an auditorium.
“We are now working to safely reopen this state and this nation,” said the second in command of the government during his speech, full of allusions to freedom and faith.
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