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| Coronavirus: Mike Pence flouts rule on masks at hospital | Coronavirus: Mike Pence flouts rule on masks at hospital |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| US Vice-President Mike Pence has visited a top US hospital without wearing a mask, despite the medical centre's own rules that visitors wear personal protective equipment. | US Vice-President Mike Pence has visited a top US hospital without wearing a mask, despite the medical centre's own rules that visitors wear personal protective equipment. |
| Mr Pence appeared to be the only person present not in a facial covering at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. | Mr Pence appeared to be the only person present not in a facial covering at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. |
| In a deleted tweet, the clinic said the vice-president had been notified in advance of its policy requiring masks. | In a deleted tweet, the clinic said the vice-president had been notified in advance of its policy requiring masks. |
| Mr Pence leads the White House coronavirus taskforce. | Mr Pence leads the White House coronavirus taskforce. |
| The US government's own coronavirus-prevention advice is that people should wear face coverings "in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain". | The US government's own coronavirus-prevention advice is that people should wear face coverings "in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain". |
| The Mayo Clinic itself requires all patients and visitors to its medical centres to wear a mask or face covering. | The Mayo Clinic itself requires all patients and visitors to its medical centres to wear a mask or face covering. |
| Mr Pence's visit came on the same day that the US coronavirus caseload topped one million and the number of deaths surpassed 57,000. | Mr Pence's visit came on the same day that the US coronavirus caseload topped one million and the number of deaths surpassed 57,000. |
| President Donald Trump has himself previously said he has no plans to wear a mask. | President Donald Trump has himself previously said he has no plans to wear a mask. |
| Mr Pence defended his decision to flout hospitals rules as necessary in order to meet with staff and patients. | |
| "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," he said. | |
| "And when the CDC issued guidelines about wearing a mask, it was their recognition that people that may have the coronavirus could prevent the possibility of conveying the virus to someone else by wearing a mask. | |
| "And since I don't have the coronavirus, I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to be here, to be able to speak to these researchers, these incredible healthcare personnel, and look them in the eye and say thank you." | |
| According to news website Axios, Mr Pence has never once worn a mask while in public since the pandemic began while continuing to travel throughout the country. | |
| An aide to Mr Pence was the first White House member to test positive for the virus in late March. |