Fauci says it may be time for a widespread mask mandate

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens during a briefing about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on April 9, 2020.Andrew Harnik/Associated Press

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it is a “great idea” for there to be a uniform mask mandate, as US coronavirus cases surged on Friday.

Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, told CNN’s Erin Burnett, “If people are not wearing masks, well then maybe we should be mandating it."

During the interview, Fauci acknowledged some might say it would be hard to enforce the mandate.

“But if everyone agrees that this is something that’s important and they mandated it and everybody pulls together and say, ‘We’re going to mandate it but let’s just do it,' I think that it would be a great idea to have everybody do it uniformly,” he said to Burnett.

On Friday, US confirmed coronavirus cases reached a record high for a single day with more than 83,000 infections.

President Trump has minimized the severity of the recent spike in cases, and said on Twitter that the increase is due to testing being “way up." Experts have cautioned about how an increase in cases could happen in the fall.

The Fake News is talking about CASES, CASES, CASES. This includes many low risk people. Media is doing everything possible to create fear prior to November 3rd. The Cases are up because TESTING is way up, by far the most, and best, in the world. Mortality rate is DOWN 85% plus!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 24, 2020

Democratic challenger and former vice president Joe Biden said on Friday he would push for national mask use. In his plan, he would talk to governors to make mask wearing mandatory in their states, and if they refuse, then he would go to mayors and county executives.