Fauci says America may still need masks after Biden’s first 100 days

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said the nation still may need to wear masks after President-elect Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office.

The president-elect said on Thursday that he planned to call on Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days in office. He has long urged Americans to wear masks to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Just 100 days to mask, not forever. 100 days. And I think we’ll see a significant reduction” in COVID-19 infections, Biden said.

Fauci told NBC “Today” host Savannah Guthrie that he spoke with Biden about the plan, and said it was a good idea.

“He’s saying ‘hey folks, trust me, everybody for 100 days,’” Fauci said. “Now, it might be that after that, we still are gonna need it, but he just wants it — everybody for a commitment for 100 days.”

Will you accept President-elect Biden’s offer to serve as his chief medical adviser? –@SavannahGuthrie

Absolutely, I said yes right on the spot. -Dr. Anthony Fauci pic.twitter.com/lHr3z1v3vo

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 4, 2020

While Biden wants everyone to wear a mask, he will not have the constitutional authority to directly order a nationwide mask mandate. Some experts have suggested he could tie federal funding to state mask laws and have said he could pressure local mayors to enact mandates on their own if governors don’t cooperate.

Biden has discussed the idea of mandates with bipartisan members of the National Governors Association and said he will personally call Republican governors and urge them to put politics aside for public health.

Also during his appearance on “Today,” Fauci said that he said “yes right on the spot” to President-elect Joe Biden’s offer to serve as his chief medical adviser in the new administration.