American states should not prematurely lift restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, including those regarding the mandatory wearing of masks. Such advice was given by Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House working group on combating the pandemic, on the air of CNN.
He commented on the actions of the governors of the states of Texas and Mississippi, who canceled the mask regime and other measures to combat COVID-19. “We think it is a mistake to prematurely lift these regulations. Masks are saving many lives,” Slavitt explained, hoping that state governments will reconsider decisions.
According to a senior adviser, President Joe Biden made it clear that in the first 100 days of the new administration, 50,000 lives can be saved if the rules are strictly adhered to. He urged not to cancel the requirement to wear masks until the completion of vaccinations in the country.
On March 2, Texas Governor Greg Abbott abolished the mandatory wearing of medical masks in the state. His example was followed by the head of Mississippi Tate Reeves. In addition to the mask mode, he removed the restrictions on the maximum number of people who can be in the premises of institutions and enterprises.
The United States remains the leader in the number of people infected with coronavirus. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 28.7 million infected have been identified in the country, more than 516 thousand patients have died. In total, more than 114 million cases of the disease have been recorded in the world, 2.5 million people have died.