US Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday that he should have worn a mask while visiting the Mayo Clinic. Referring to the number of times he was tested for the coronavirus he said that he didn't think it was necessary but should have worn the mask while visiting.
The Vice President's acknowledgement comes after the heavy criticism he had to face after he failed to wear any protective gear while visiting the medical centre in Minnesota. According to the Mayo Clinic's policy "all patients, visitors and staff to wear a face-covering or mask while at Mayo Clinic to guard against transmission of COVID-19."
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention was clear on the mask rule. Pence was asked about his decision to not wear the mask during the Fox News virtual townhall. Answering, he stressed on the CDC procedures and measures.
According to USA Today, a tweet on the Mayo Clinic's handle had said that the Vice President was made aware of the measure. The tweet is said to have been deleted since then. After that, the centre tweeted saying that it was grateful for Pence's visit and looked "forward to continued collaboration to develop essential testing and treatment for our patients and communities."
The Second Lady, Karen Pence, said the Vice President was not aware of the mask policy while visiting the medical centre. During an interview with Fox and Friends, the Vice President's wife said that he did not mean to scare or hurt anyone.
Pence didn't think the mask was necessary
According to Mike Pence, because of the unique position the President and the Vice President is in, they are tested often. This had led him to believe that he didn't require to wear a mask. He also talked about the purpose of wearing a mask according to the CDC which was to keep the people from spreading the coronavirus.
Both the US President and Vice President have tested negative for the coronavirus. Despite this, the Vice President had to face heavy criticism from medical experts because of his lack of proper judgment and for ignoring the guidelines that were in place to protect the centre's patients and staff.
While visiting the General Motors plant in Indiana just two days after Minnesota Clinic visit the Vice President was seen wearing a mask.
