US divided over masks as Trump rejects national mask mandate
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U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he won't consider an order at the national level mandating the use of masks, even as the United States continued to break its single-day coronavirus case record amid a pandemic far from being contained and whether to wear masks has become a source of heated debate.

Asked by Fox News anchor Chris Wallace if he would consider issuing a national mask mandate to slow the spread of the virus, Trump said: "No, I want people to have a certain freedom and I don't believe in that.”

"I don't agree with the statement that if everyone wore a mask, everything disappears," the president added, after Wallace pointed out that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the virus would be brought under control if everyone wore a mask.

Trump has been refusing to wear a mask himself since the pandemic broke out. He was seen wearing a mask only once in public, when visiting the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on July 11.

This comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease specialist, urged political leaders to "be as forceful as possible in getting your citizenry to wear masks" in numerous occasions.

It also comes some three months after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ) recommended that Americans do so after scientific evidence pertaining to wearing face masks showed that universal masking helps prevent infected individuals from spreading the virus to others.

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Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases wears a face mask. /Xinhua

"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 Dr. Robert R. Redfield said in a press release.

However, the issue has become increasingly politicized to showcase whether one supports Trump or not. Recently, the debate has becoming increasingly contentious, with Republicans more likely than Democrats to reject a face mask mandate, citing a violation of people's constitutional rights.

In Georgia, despite record daily coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, Governor Brian Kemp refused to issue a mask mandate, though he agrees that "wearing a mask is effective." He said Georgians don't need a mandate, expecting them to voluntarily wear a mask. The similar happened in Oklahoma. Governor Kevin Stitt, despite testing positive for the virus himself, rejected to implement a mask mandate.

"Everybody saying that (wearing a mask) is a violation of their freedom – no, it's not. Because a seatbelt is mandated and that's to save your life," said Sharon Taylor, 48, a cardiothoracic nurse in Atlanta.

As the coronavirus cases keep surging in the U.S., a growing number of states have begun issuing new mask requirements in the past weeks. So far, 28 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, have issued statewide mask mandates, according to an analysis by ABC News. The analysis only includes mandates made on state level, excluding orders at the city or county level.

(With input from agencies)