Coronavirus: Many US lawmakers follow new face covering guidance, but some habits are hard to break
- Many US House legislators wear face coverings during latest stimulus bill debate, but a handful of Republicans do not
- Habits prove hard to break: some members are seen touching the microphone as they speak or resting their ungloved hands on the lectern
As the US House of Representatives opened up for business on Thursday to debate a fourth stimulus bill, it did so with a somewhat muffled pledge of allegiance.
That was because most lawmakers had opted to wear a face covering, marking the latest sign that the United States is catching up to a growing global consensus that masks can be effective in preventing asymptomatic spread of the novel coronavirus.
“Use of a face covering, while voluntary, is recommended for Members and staff in any proceeding when it may be not be possible to maintain the minimum six-foot separation distance,” said new guidelines from Capitol Hill’s attending doctor, issued to all lawmakers on Wednesday.
But a handful of Republican legislators chose not to follow that advice. And even among the lawmakers who did, other habits that public health experts warn could increase the risk of transmission proved hard to kick.
As members took to the podium to make their case for or against the new legislation, many instinctively touched the microphone as they spoke, or rested their ungloved hands on the lectern. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wiped her microphone when she finished talking – most did not.