The United States President, Mr Donald Trump wore a mask in public for the first time today since the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, putting many observers to surprise.
Trump had previously refused to wear masks in public, although he had said he would if in a crowd and could not maintain physical distance from others.
He had been subjected to heavy criticisms even from his fellow Republican Party members, who said his stance showed he was not leading by example.
He finally put on a mask during his visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre outside Washington where he met wounded soldiers and frontline healthcare workers.
“I’ve never been against masks, but I do believe they have a time and a place,” he said earlier before leaving the White House.
Later, he said wearing a mask was the right thing to do “when you’re in a hospital… where you’re talking to a lot of soldiers and people that, in some cases, just got off the operating tables.
“I think it’s a great thing to wear a mask,” he declared.
