Donald Trump finally wore a mask during a visit to a military hospital on Saturday, July 11, the very first time the president has been seen in public with the facial covering recommended as a precaution against the novel Coronavirus.
Trump went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington to meet wounded service members and health care providers caring for COVID-19 patients while wearing a face mask.
Trump exiting the White House, told reporters: “When you’re in a hospital, especially … I think it’s expected to wear a mask.”
Trump was wearing a mask in Walter Reed’s hallway as he began his visit but was not wearing one when he stepped off the facility.
Trump’s wearing of the mask comes after months of refusing to wear the protective the covering, saying he feared a mask would make him look weak. He was more concerned that Coronavirus pandemic shifted focus to the public health crisis rather than the economic recovery.
Covid-19 has infected more than 3.2 million and killed at least 134,000 in the US.