First lady Melania Trump reminded Americans on Tuesday to wear a mask or facial coverage to be safe and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“Even in the summer months, please remember to wear face coverings & practice social distancing. The more precaution we take now can mean a healthier & safer country in the Fall,” she said on Twitter posting a photo of herself wearing a plain, white mask.
On Sunday, the first lady posted a video of herself wearing a mask during a tour of The Mary Elizabeth House.
“It was a pleasure to spend time with the staff, mothers & children at The Mary Elizabeth House, a place that helps strengthen families & provides life skills, counseling & educational resources to help vulnerable single women & their children. #BeBest,” she said.
The posting came a day after President Trump appeared publicly for the first time wearing a mask during a tour of the Walter Reed Medical Center where he met with wounded troops on Saturday.
Trump, who has resisted calls to wear a mask to set an example for others during the pandemic, donned a navy blue one bearing the presidential seal.
The president told reporters at the White House before the visit that masks should be worn in “appropriate locations.”
In an interview last week with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Trump said: “I expect to be wearing a mask when I go into Walter Reed. You’re in a hospital setting, I think it’s a very appropriate thing.”
Trump, who is routinely tested for the coronavirus, said he didn’t want to risk infecting anyone at the military medical center.
“I don’t want to spread anything. And a lot of it is you spreading, not them spreading,” he told Hannity. “And I don’t want to cause a problem for anybody.”
During a tour of a Ford plant in Michigan in May, Trump said he wore a mask when not in view of the media, saying he “didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
An image did emerge of the president in a mask during the visit.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people wear a mask for facial coverage when unable to maintain social distancing guidelines.