Biden Reportedly Plans On Calling State & Local Leaders To Urge Mask Mandates
In one of his first moves as President-Elect, Joe Biden is reportedly planning on calling state and local leaders to urge them to adopt mask mandates
As we prepare for an actual adult with empathy, a heart, and a belief in science to take over as president, we can start to imagine an America with a leader that not only takes the virus seriously, but is planning on starting right away with turning this awful ship around. Well, imagine no more — on Saturday, November 7, Joe Biden was projected as the winner of the 2020 presidential election, and on his second full day as President-Elect, he’s hitting the ground running when it comes to bringing COVID-19 to heel. Thank God.
According to NBC News, Biden plans on contacting governors and mayors of large cities from both parties to urge mask mandates in their respective cities and states. An unnamed senior Biden adviser says, “If a governor declines, he’ll go to the mayors in the state and ask them to lead. In many states, there is the capacity of mayors to institute mandates.”
Around 20 U.S. states have mask mandates currently, and research suggests the use of masks on a large scale could help save thousands of lives.
Along with the news that Biden plans on pushing America’s leaders to enact mask mandates, his administration has also announced their own coronavirus task force. It’s full of doctors and health experts including Vivek H. Murthy, surgeon general during the Obama administration; David Kessler, Food and Drug Administration commissioner under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton; and Marcella Nunez-Smith, associate dean for health equity research at the Yale School of Medicine.
“Daily cases are skyrocketing,” Biden said told press on Friday evening before the election was called in his favor. “I want everyone — everyone — to know on Day 1, we’re going to put our plan to control this virus into action.”
The Biden-Harris Presidential Transition team released a statement on Pfizer’s vaccine progress that was full of congratulations for the achievement but also, caution: “Today’s news does not change this urgent reality,” Biden said. “Americans will have to rely on masking, distancing, contact tracing, hand washing and other measures to keep themselves safe well into next year.”
Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris (YAY!) is also signaling that the incoming administration is ready to tackle the challenge of getting COVID-19 under control after several months of neglect by the Trump administration.
She’s also making sure people aren’t losing sight of the danger the virus continues to pose, despite half the country wanting to celebrate in the streets over the weekend.
Make no mistake — this country has a long road ahead when it comes to getting COVID-19 under control. But with a new administration promising to work this hard, we have reason to feel optimistic that better days are on the horizon.
