Rep.-elect Ashley Hinson: Biden’s 100 days of masks coincides with Gov. Kim Reynolds’ guidance

President-elect Joe Biden's call for 100 days of mask wearing 'coincides” with Gov. Kim Reynolds' message to Iowans to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19, congresswoman-elect Ashley Hinson said Friday.

'I think our governor has already made it very clear that we want people to wear masks if they can't properly socially distance,” the Marion Republican said without fully embracing Biden's suggestion Americans have a 'patriotic duty” to wear masks.

Most Iowans must wear a mask or other face covering while they are indoors in public, and near other people for at least 15 minutes, under a November public health order issued by Reynolds.

Her order also placed a limit of 15 people on all indoor gatherings, including wedding and funeral receptions, family gatherings, conventions and festivals. It limited outdoor gatherings to 30 people.

Biden, who will take office in January, said earlier this week he will ask Americans to commit to 100 days of wearing masks.

President Donald Trump's skepticism of mask-wearing has made many people reticent to embrace a practice that public health experts say is one of the easiest ways to manage the pandemic, which has killed more than 275,000 Americans.

Biden has frequently emphasized mask-wearing and during the campaign floated the idea of instituting a nationwide mask mandate, which he later acknowledged would be beyond the ability of the president to enforce.

Hinson, who spoke to reporters while waiting to board a plane from Washington to Cedar Rapids, agreed that 'you can't socially distance, you probably should be wearing a mask in public right now. '

However, Hinson, who isolated earlier this month after testing positive for COVID-19, added, 'I wore a mask, and I still got it.”

She encouraged people to continue to socially distance and for people who are sick or have an underlying health condition to stay home.

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