U.S. President Donald Trump surprised the world by wearing a mask in public for the first time since the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Trump had previously refused to wear masks in public, although he had said he would if in a crowd and could not maintain physical distance from others.
Trump, who had avoided wearing a mask in public, wore one during his visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday, telling Fox News “it’s a very appropriate thing” to do in a hospital setting.
The president said that in addition to meeting with wounded soldiers, he would meet with workers tasked with containing the spread of the new coronavirus.
Trump has been criticized for not wearing a mask or promoting the use of them, even within his Republican Party in recent weeks.
His visit with the troops and employees comes amid surges of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., which continues to lead the world in both infections and fatalities.
