Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Supports North Dakota Governor on Use of Face Masks: 'This Is Not About Politics'
Responding to North Dakota Republican Governor Doug Burgum's emotional Friday statement regarding
use of face masks to prevent those most vulnerable from contracting the new coronavirus, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine voiced his support for what he called "spot-on" guidance during an interview Sunday morning.
"The governor is right. The governor is spot on," DeWine, who is also a Republican, told NBC's
Meet the Press of Burgum's comments, which urged North Dakota residents to put political affiliations aside and regard face coverings as a necessary contribution to public health.
"I've watched that clip a couple times, and this is not about politics. This is not about whether you're liberal or conservative, left or right, Republican, Democrat," DeWine continued. "It's been very clear what the studies have shown you. You wear the mask not to protect yourself so much as to protect others, and this is one time when we truly are all in this together. What we do directly impacts others."
On Friday, Burgum said residents of his state who have chosen to wear face coverings in public despite lack of official mandates should not be subjected to "mask shaming," as their decision is most likely unrelated to politics and instead motivated by intentions to keep loved ones safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has
recommended face mask use as means to lower risk of transmission.
"If someone is wearing a mask they're not doing it to represent what political party they're in, or what candidates they support," he noted. "They might be doing it because they've got a 5-year-old child who's been going through cancer treatments. They might have vulnerable adults in their life who currently have COVID and they're fighting."
