President Joe Biden urged leaders across the country Monday to reinstate mask mandates and pause reopening efforts, claiming it’s “the only way we will ever get back to normal.”
“I’m reiterating my call for every governor, mayor, and local leader to maintain and reinstate the mask mandate,” Biden said. “Please, this is not politics. Reinstate the mandate if you let it down. And businesses should require masks as well … Look, as I do my part to accelerate the vaccine distribution and vaccinations, I need the American people to do their part as well.”
Biden said mask mandates are the “only way” Americans will be able to attend events like graduations and weddings again.
“Mask up. Mask up. It’s a patriotic duty,” he said. “It’s the only way we will ever get back to normal. To cheer together in stadiums full of fans. To gather together in holidays again safely.”
