Former vice president Joe Biden focused in part on the nation's response to Covid-19 during a stop in Grand Rapids Friday, the same day news emerged that President Donald Trump had contracted the potentially deadly disease.
Biden, who wore a mask as he spoke, said the country could get the pandemic under control by heeding the guidance of scientists, expanding testing and instituting a national mask mandate, The Detroit News reported.
“Be patriotic," he said. "It’s not about being a tough guy. It’s about doing your part. Wearing a mask is not only going to protect you but also protects those around you."
He added: "Don't just do it for yourself. Do it for the people you love."
Trump, who was hospitalized with a fever later Friday, has frequently mocked wearing masks. Three days earlier, he said of Biden during a debate: “Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away ... and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”
Biden told those gathered for the Friday speech outside a local union office that he and his family were sending prayers to Trump. The First Lady also has the illness.
