Moscow: Freshly-inaugurated US President Joe Biden was spotted maskless during visit to the Lincoln Memorial just hours after signing an executive order making face coverings mandatory on federal property in a bid to curb the pandemic, the US media reported.
According to the Fox News broadcaster, Biden now faces harsh criticism for going bare-faced during a televised address to the nation and standing at the foot of the memorial with people a short distance to his side.
“Wearing masks isn’t a partisan issue - it’s a patriotic act that can save countless lives. That’s why I signed an executive order today issuing a mask mandate on federal property. It’s time to mask up, America,” Biden tweeted on Wednesday evening.
On Thursday, a day after he was sworn-in as the 46th US president, Biden signed a slew of executive orders to undo his predecessor’s policies. A number of those orders were coronavirus-related. (UNI)