Mike Pence Didn't Wear A Face Mask To The Mayo Clinic Even Though It's Required
The Mayo Clinic has required all visitors to wear a face mask since April 13, but the vice president didn't wear one on Tuesday.
Salvador Hernandez BuzzFeed News Reporter April 28, 2020
Jim Mone / AP
Vice President Mike Pence visits the molecular testing lab at the Mayo Clinic on Tuesday.
Since April 13, the Mayo Clinic has been requiring all patients and visitors at its campuses to wear a mask or face covering in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
"Patients and visitors are asked to bring their own face covering or mask to wear," the clinic stated in a statement announcing the policy. "If a patient or visitor does not have a mask, Mayo Clinic will provide one."
Pence, who chairs the White House coronavirus task force, was touring the facility to learn more about Mayo's research on and treatment of COVID-19. He was accompanied by Dr. Stephen Hahn from the FDA.
In one video, he can be seen greeting multiple people by touching elbows instead of shaking hands.
Dan Diamond@ddiamond
PENCE flouts Mayo Clinic policy that everyone on campus wear a mask, even as he meets with staff and a patient.05:55 PM - 28 Apr 2020
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Video from C-SPAN shows Pence meeting with at least 10 people in one large room, including a clinic employee who has recovered from COVID-19. Pence is the only person not wearing a mask.
In the roundtable discussion later in the day, officials including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Mayo Clinic leaders still wore face coverings, while Pence did not.
Jim Mone / AP Vice President Mike Pence visits the Mayo Clinic on Tuesday.
The vice president's office did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' inquiries about why Pence was not wearing a mask during his visit.
Salvador Hernandez is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles.
Pence flouts hospital policy, goes maskless in Mayo Clinic visit
The Mayo Clinic has required all visitors to wear a face mask since April 13, but the vice president didn't wear one on Tuesday.
Salvador Hernandez BuzzFeed News Reporter April 28, 2020
Jim Mone / AP
Vice President Mike Pence visits the molecular testing lab at the Mayo Clinic on Tuesday.
Vice President Mike Pence ignored a Mayo Clinic policy that requires everyone to wear a face covering during a visit to the Rochester, Minnesota, hospital on Tuesday afternoon.
Photos and video of Pence's visit, which included meeting health care workers and a roundtable on the response to the coronavirus pandemic, showed that the vice president was the only person not wearing a face mask. Shortly after the images began to circulate on social media, the Mayo Clinic said on Twitter that Pence had been told about its mask policy before he arrived.
In addition to clinic staffers, all members of Pence's entourage also wore face masks.
The Mayo Clinic deleted its tweet minutes after it was posted.
Twitter
Despite the deleted tweet, a spokesperson with the Mayo Clinic told BuzzFeed News the vice president's office was informed about its mask policy. The spokesperson did not say why the tweet was deleted.
Photos and video of Pence's visit, which included meeting health care workers and a roundtable on the response to the coronavirus pandemic, showed that the vice president was the only person not wearing a face mask. Shortly after the images began to circulate on social media, the Mayo Clinic said on Twitter that Pence had been told about its mask policy before he arrived.
In addition to clinic staffers, all members of Pence's entourage also wore face masks.
The Mayo Clinic deleted its tweet minutes after it was posted.
Despite the deleted tweet, a spokesperson with the Mayo Clinic told BuzzFeed News the vice president's office was informed about its mask policy. The spokesperson did not say why the tweet was deleted.
MODELING BAD BEHAVIOUR
Asked by reporters why he did not wear a mask, Pence said he is tested for the coronavirus "on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus.""Since I don't have the coronavirus, I thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible health care personnel and look them in the eye and say thank you," he said.
Since April 13, the Mayo Clinic has been requiring all patients and visitors at its campuses to wear a mask or face covering in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
"Patients and visitors are asked to bring their own face covering or mask to wear," the clinic stated in a statement announcing the policy. "If a patient or visitor does not have a mask, Mayo Clinic will provide one."
Pence, who chairs the White House coronavirus task force, was touring the facility to learn more about Mayo's research on and treatment of COVID-19. He was accompanied by Dr. Stephen Hahn from the FDA.
In one video, he can be seen greeting multiple people by touching elbows instead of shaking hands.
Dan Diamond@ddiamond
PENCE flouts Mayo Clinic policy that everyone on campus wear a mask, even as he meets with staff and a patient.05:55 PM - 28 Apr 2020
Reply Retweet Favorite
Video from C-SPAN shows Pence meeting with at least 10 people in one large room, including a clinic employee who has recovered from COVID-19. Pence is the only person not wearing a mask.
In the roundtable discussion later in the day, officials including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Mayo Clinic leaders still wore face coverings, while Pence did not.
Jim Mone / AP Vice President Mike Pence visits the Mayo Clinic on Tuesday.
The vice president's office did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' inquiries about why Pence was not wearing a mask during his visit.
Salvador Hernandez is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in Los Angeles.
Vice president follows Trump's lead in refusing to wear masks, despite public-health recommendations to do so.
By DAN DIAMOND 04/28/2020
Vice President Mike Pence refused to wear a mask on Tuesday as he toured the Mayo Clinic and met with hospital staff and a patient, rejecting the famed hospital’s policy that all visitors cover their faces to reduce Covid-19 risks.
Pence last week made plans to visit the Rochester, Minn., institution after it announced a coronavirus testing “moonshot” to combat the current outbreak. His decision not to wear a mask — even as he was surrounded by others who followed the policy — was widely condemned on social media, including by public health experts, on Tuesday afternoon.
Pence told reporters after the visit that he believed that he was following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and he asserted that he was not infected by Covid-19.
"As vice president of the United States, I'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus," Pence said, according to a pool report.
However, the CDC has recommended that all Americans wear cloth face masks in public settings where other social distancing measures may be difficult to maintain. Photos and video of Pence's visit to Mayo Clinic show him in close conversation with other individuals.
Scientists also have stressed that Covid-19 tests may produce incorrect results and that it is possible to carry the virus and not know it.
Some officials — like Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), who greeted Pence upon his arrival in the state on Tuesday — have worn masks in public appearances. But many Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have rejected those recommendations for themselves. Pence declined to wear masks in previous public appearances, including visits to the Air Force Academy and a GE Healthcare site last week. After discussing recommendations to wear masks, Trump said at a press briefing on April 3 that “I don't see it for myself.”
Vice President Mike Pence refused to wear a mask on Tuesday as he toured the Mayo Clinic and met with hospital staff and a patient, rejecting the famed hospital’s policy that all visitors cover their faces to reduce Covid-19 risks.
Pence last week made plans to visit the Rochester, Minn., institution after it announced a coronavirus testing “moonshot” to combat the current outbreak. His decision not to wear a mask — even as he was surrounded by others who followed the policy — was widely condemned on social media, including by public health experts, on Tuesday afternoon.
Pence told reporters after the visit that he believed that he was following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and he asserted that he was not infected by Covid-19.
"As vice president of the United States, I'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus," Pence said, according to a pool report.
However, the CDC has recommended that all Americans wear cloth face masks in public settings where other social distancing measures may be difficult to maintain. Photos and video of Pence's visit to Mayo Clinic show him in close conversation with other individuals.
Scientists also have stressed that Covid-19 tests may produce incorrect results and that it is possible to carry the virus and not know it.
Some officials — like Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), who greeted Pence upon his arrival in the state on Tuesday — have worn masks in public appearances. But many Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have rejected those recommendations for themselves. Pence declined to wear masks in previous public appearances, including visits to the Air Force Academy and a GE Healthcare site last week. After discussing recommendations to wear masks, Trump said at a press briefing on April 3 that “I don't see it for myself.”
Mayo Clinic on April 13 announced its own policy to require all visitors to wear masks in order to slow the spread of Covid-19, based on the CDC guidance.
A Mayo Clinic spokesperson told POLITICO that Pence and his team had been briefed about the mask policy prior to arriving on campus. “We made the Vice President and his staff aware of our policy regarding masking,” the spokesperson said, referring other questions to Pence’s office. Masks were made available to Pence on Tuesday, said two individuals.
Mayo Clinic also took down a tweet that had said "Mayo Clinic had informed @VP of the masking policy prior to his arrival today." The clinic did not immediately respond to a question about why the tweet was deleted.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who accompanied Pence on the trip, did wear a mask as he toured Mayo Clinic. “He set a good example as a public health official,” said a senior administration official.
Ken Martin, chairman of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in Minnesota, criticized Pence for setting a dangerous example, saying his failure to abide by hospital rules "jeopardizes the health and well-being of those around him and encourages others to engage in the same selfish and irresponsible behavior."
“The least we can do to thank the essential workers who risk infection to keep us fed, healthy, and safe during this crisis is to take the proper precautions to keep them safe as well," Martin said. "By refusing to lead by example and help protect essential workers, Vice President Pence is telling the American people that his public image matters more than the lives of those on the frontlines of this pandemic.”
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