Biden Assails GOP Governors Who’ve Blocked New Mask Mandates

(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden assailed Republican governors who have blocked new mask mandates and other public health precautions in their states even with thousands of new cases of Covid-19 caused by the delta variant of coronavirus.

Biden said Tuesday that seven states “not only ban mask mandates but also ban them in their school districts,” including for children who can’t be vaccinated against the virus.

“The most extreme” of the measures is in Texas, where he said universities face fines by the state if professors ask unvaccinated students to wear masks in classrooms.

He didn’t name any specific governors. Texas is led by Republican Greg Abbott; Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has also blocked schools in his state from imposing mask mandates.

“If you aren’t going to help,” Biden said, “at least get out of the way” and let businesses and schools decide on their own whether to require masks.

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