Coronavirus testing czar calls for widespread mask compliance, but suggests mandate could be risky

Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir, the White House's coronavirus testing coordinator, is not shy about urging people to wear masks. He told NBC's Chuck Todd on Sunday that, especially in locations experiencing more intense coronavirus outbreaks, "you really need to have mask-wearing at a very high degree" to drive infections down. He does not, however, feel comfortable recommending a national mask mandate to President Trump.

Giroir expressed concerned that a federal mandate would actually result in Americans wearing masks less consistently. "There's a debate whether a mandate actually does an affirmative thing or whether people will rebel against that," he said. "But it really has to be voluntary by the American people, whether it's mandated by a city, like it was done in Phoenix, or certain states."

Either way, he said, the public health message remains the same. "We've got to have mask-wearing," he told Todd.

EXCLUSIVE: @HHS_ASH says there's "debate" over whether Americans would rebel against a universal mask-wearing mandate:

"We are very concerned. ... Deaths will continue to increase for the next few weeks." pic.twitter.com/KzMfnqaVHX

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 2, 2020