US Senator Feinstein Calls to Block COVID-19 Relief For States That Refuse to Apply Mask Mandate

The call comes as governors in some US states reject the advice of federal health officials on wearing masks to help slow the nation’s rapid rise of new coronavirus cases, with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp filing a lawsuit on Thursday against the city of Atlanta to block the urban region’s COVID-19 face mask mandate.

The US Senator from California, Dianne Feinstein, has proposed an amendment to bar states that refuse to implement mask mandates from receiving funding from the next federal coronavirus relief package, calling on colleagues in the Senate to back the legislation.

In a statement issued Thursday, Feinstein pointed to the record increase in coronavirus cases in almost every state in the country, saying, “We’re failing to control this virus and it’s time for serious action”.

Feinstein argued, “Wearing masks in public should be mandatory” as the COVID-19 pandemic “is getting worse daily”. She called on US states to follow in the footsteps of California, Alabama and Montana, where mandates requiring masks in public are already in place, vowing, “It’s time for Congress to step in” to make the measure universal.

Earlier in the day, Brian Kemp, the current governor of Georgia, said in a statement that his office had filed a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta to block the urban region’s face mask mandate, characterizing the health measure as a “reckless” action that puts politics over people.

On Thursday, the United States COVID-19 tally increased by at least 70,727 new cases to currently stand at 3,563,848, the highest daily increase since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and the seventh highest posting this month, according to the Reuters US COVID-19 tally. 30 out of 50 US states have registered a record surge in COVID-19 cases this month.

Sourse: sputniknews.com