HHS Sec Azar Says Masks Prevent Virus Shutdowns: If We Comply with ‘Simple Steps’ We Can Avoid It, ‘But if We Don’t…’

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Sunday emphatically reiterated that taking “simple steps” like wearing masks and maintaining social distance are what will prevent the necessity of further lockdowns.

Brennan brought up President Donald Trump’s comments this week that the pandemic will “get worse before it gets better” and asked Azar whether the White House or HHS are going to raise the projections on the potential Covid-19 death toll.

“Well Margaret it’s not about projections, so much as what are we doing about it,” Azar replied, “which is, we need to wear face coverings, we need to practice social distancing, good personal hygiene, and in our hot zones, close our bars, restrict our indoor dining, restrict our home gatherings.”

Having outlined those steps, many of which are contentious among Trump’s base, he went on to emphasize that they work and that practicing the guidelines helps avoid the thing that so many are most vehemently opposed to among all the pandemic measures: lockdowns.

“We know this works, the modeling shows those simple steps will lead to outcomes, in terms of disease spread, that are comparable to shutting down, without all of the pain of shutting down,” he said. “And if we comply as individuals, if we wear our masks we can avoid further shut down. But if we don’t, that’ll be the consequence.”

His emphasis on masks in particular echoes a shift in tone in the administration’s overall presentation with regard to facial coverings, and was likewise highlighted as an important necessity by Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Adm. Brett Giroir in his contentious appearance with Jake Tapper on CNN earlier in the day.

It remains to be seen if Trump’s base, which has included many public displays and virtue signal videos rejecting the very idea of facial coverings as a preventive measure, will be swayed by this belated messaging from the Coronavirus Task Force.

Watch the clip above, via CBS.