U.S. CDC urges all Americans to wear masks

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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday urged all Americans to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus, particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families and their communities," CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement.

CDC's appeal came days after U.S. President Donald Trump wore a mask publicly for the first time when visiting a hospital in Maryland.

For months, Trump and some senior administration officials have been criticized for being reluctant to advise the public to wear masks.

Redfield said Tuesday the president and vice president need to wear masks to set an example for the public.

Trump indeed wore a face mask in public for the first time during a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on Saturday.

He has been refusing to wear a mask himself since the pandemic broke out, citing his good health and frequent negative tests for the virus.

"Glad to see the president wear a mask this week and the vice president, and clearly in their situation they could easily justify that they don't need to because of all the testing around them and they know they're not infected," Redfield said during an interview with JAMA.

"But we need them to set the example, as you said, for other individuals."

According to a new Hill-HarrisX poll, 44 percent of voters said people were less likely to wear masks when Trump had not set an example by wearing a mask to lower the spread of COVID-19.

(With input from Xinhua)