Politico | Coronavirus: Mike Pence flouts hospital policy and goes maskless in Mayo Clinic visit
- US vice-president follows Trump’s lead in refusing to wear face covering on tour, during which he met health workers and a patient
- Pence was briefed on policy before arrival, and masks were made available to him
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Dan Diamond on politico.com on April 28, 2020.
US Vice-President Mike Pence refused to wear a mask on Tuesday as he toured the Mayo Clinic and met 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, Minnesota, institution after it announced a coronavirus testing “moon shot” 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 derided by public health experts on Tuesday afternoon.
Pence’s decision comes at a time when many public-health experts are urging people to wear masks and local officials view the use of masks as crucial to reopening the economy.
Some officials – like Democratic Governor Tim Walz, 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”.
On April 13, Mayo Clinic announced that all patients and visitors would need to wear a face covering or mask to slow the spread of Covid-19, based on advice from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. According to that CDC guidance, wearing masks in public can lower the risks of transmitting the virus, including from people who show no symptoms of the virus.
A Mayo Clinic spokesperson told POLITICO that Pence and his team had been briefed about the mask policy before 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.
Pence’s office did not immediately respond to a question about his refusal to wear a mask. Pence’s office also did not respond to a question on Monday night about whether he would wear a mask during Tuesday’s visit.
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.
