Amid the coronavirus outbreak, while most people are practising social distancing, CDC released a recommendation where it urged people to wear cloth masks especially if you are in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission. However, US President Donald Trump did a press conference amid all this where along with citing the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation, he also said that he will not be wearing any mask, creating a storm on social media. While he said that he recommends Americans to cover their faces with "scarves or homemade cloth masks" whenever they go outside amid pandemic to prevent the spread of coronavirus, he said that he won't wear one because it is a recommendation and one doesn't have to. CDC Recommends Use of Cloth Face Masks amid Coronavirus Outbreak: COVID-19 Prevention Tips You Should Know.

He also urged people to leave the medical-grade masks available for the health workers who really need it. He says he does not intend to wear one himself. "The CDC is advising the use of non-medical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure", he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued laid a set of guidelines for people wearing masks. It said that people can wear "bandannas, t-shirts and other cloth-based coverings in crowded areas", especially in hot spots.

Trump said, "This is voluntary. I don’t think I’m going to be doing it." He went on to say, "I just don’t want to wear one myself. They say ‘recommendation’, they recommend it. I’m feeling good. I just don’t want to be doing – somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk, the great Resolute Desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know, somehow I don’t see it for myself. Maybe I’ll change my mind, but this will pass, and hopefully, it will pass very quickly." Donald Trump has received a lot of flak for his statement online. Netizens have been sharing their opinions online ever since his statement came up:

Duct Tape

Trump Should Wear a Mask

Memes

People Are Angry

Wait, What?!

The first lady Melania Trump, however, later tweeted on Friday saying, "As the weekend approaches I ask that everyone take social distancing & wearing a mask/face covering seriously." During the press conference, Trump also said that "the new masks guidelines do not replace CDC's guidance on social distancing, including staying at home when possible, standing at least 6 feet apart for a period of time."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 04, 2020 01:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).