Politics

FLASHBACK March 4th: Eric Swalwell Told People To ‘Stop Wearing Face Masks’

Photo by Alex Edelman/Getty Images

Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell told his followers in March to stop wearing face masks for coronavirus, as the pandemic continued to spread in the U.S.

Swalwell, who was one of the first few Democrats to drop out of the 2020 presidential race, sent this tweet on March 4 as the virus had already spread throughout the U.S. This as, health officials, including the World Health Organization (WHO) have laid out guidelines for when to wear masks:

  • “If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection.
  • Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
  • Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
  • If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.”

Also, Surgeon General Jerome Adams changed his advice on when to wear masks in a Friday press conference, saying the “CDC recommends and the task force recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings.” (RELATED: Experts Criticize Surgeon General Jerome Adams For Lying About Facemasks)

The CDC has issued a new recommendation that Americans wear non-medical face coverings in public, which President Donald Trump announced Friday at his coronavirus task force press conference. (RELATED: CDC Issues New Recommendation To Wear Face Coverings In Public During Coronavirus)

But, Swalwell said do not wear the masks, in general, and did not even clarify to not wear them if when sick.