Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) drafted an order that would’ve required passengers and employees to wear face masks on all buses, trains, subways, planes, stations and airports, but the White House blocked it, according to two anonymous federal health officials who spoke with The New York Times.
While Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Alex M. Azar II reportedly approved of the order, the White House Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, said such an order should be left to states and cities to decide. “Most public health officials believe that wearing masks is one of the most effective ways to protect against the spread of the virus,” the Times wrote, “particularly in crowded,