Americans will be asked by US President-elect Joe Biden to wear masks for his first 100 days in office, to halt the spread of the coronavirus in the US. Biden believes there would be a “significant reduction” in Covid-19 cases if every citizen wore a mask. The BBC reports that Biden said, “The first day I’m inaugurated I’m going to ask the public for 100 days to mask. Just 100 days to mask, not forever. One hundred days.”  He added that masks would be mandatory in all government buildings.

The BBC reports that the US, which has the highest number of coronavirus infections in the world, has recorded 14.1 million cases with 276 000 covid related deaths. Biden said that he thought that there would be a significant reduction in virus infections with increased masking, along with the vaccine that the US is eagerly awaiting to receive.

According to the BBC, the first 100 days of a new presidency is symbolically important in the US. It is viewed as an indication of how a president will perform in office.

Meanwhile, experts on the American constitution say a US president does not have the authority to order Americans to wear masks.  The president’s executive authority, however, does cover US government property, and Biden intends exercising his power in that regard, saying, “I’m going to issue a standing order that in federal buildings you have to be masked.”

Umm Muhammed Umar