Ohio Republican governor says wearing masks is a public issue and ‘not about politics’

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio asserted on Sunday during his interview with Meet the Press that wearing of masks is for safety and should not be politicized.
• Health experts continuously advocate the use of masks in mitigating the spread of the virus but the White House has given mixed signals regarding this practice.
• The country’s national security advisor, Robert O’Brien, told Meet the Press on Sunday that he and other presidential aides wear masks while on duty and hoped it would set an example for Americans who are going back to work.

During his exclusive interview with “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stressed that wearing of masks is a health precaution that should not be politicized.

“This is not about politics. This is not about whether you are liberal or conservative, left or right, Republican or Democrat,” DeWine told Meet the Press.

The Republican governor highlighted studies that showed masks are beneficial in stopping the spread of the virus.

“It’s been very clear what the studies have shown, you wear the mask not to protect yourself so much as to protect others. This is one time where we are truly all in this together. What we do directly impacts others,” he said.

His sentiments were in connection with North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum’s emotional plea, who said last week that wearing masks should not be a factional issue.

Public health authorities continuously promote the use of mask as it can help in mitigating the virus outbreak, especially where social distancing is not feasible. However, the White House provided polarizing directions about the practice.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly ditched wearing of masks in public, reportedly telling his aides that doing so would send a wrong signal and distort his ‘reopening the economy’ crusade.

Earlier this month, Trump was unmasked during a visit to an Arizona mask production facility. Last week, he did wear one for part of his Ford Manufacturing plant visit in Michigan, but took it off before speaking to the press as he said he did not want to give them “the pleasure of seeing it.”

Vice President Mike Pence was also without a mask during his tour to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota last month, but already wore one during another trip days after earning criticisms.

The president’s national security advisor Robert O’Brien told Meet the Press on Sunday that he and many other White House aides wear masks while on duty and hoped it would be a model for Americans who are going back to work. He also defended Trump’s actions, emphasizing that if proper social-distancing measures were observed, the president won’t need to wear a mask anymore.

“I think Gov. DeWine was spot on when he talked about office-workers wearing masks, and mask usage is going to help us get this economy reopened,” O’Brien said.

“And we do need to get the country reopened because we can’t get left behind by China or others with respect to our economy.”

Source: AOL.com