US VP Pence visits clinic without mask despite policy

WASHINGTON - US Vice President Mike Pence, who leads White House's coronavirus task force, on Tuesday visited the Mayo Clinic without a mask, though the medical facility requires all visitors to wear masks to avoid the spread of coronavirus, local media reported.

Online video showed Pence was surrounded by about 10 people, including a patient, who unlike him all were wearing masks.

"As vice president of the United States, I'm tested for the coronavirus on a regular basis, and everyone who is around me is tested for the coronavirus," Pence said.

The Mayo Clinic, which is located in Rochester, Minnesota, is requiring all patients, visitors and staff to wear a face covering or mask to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to a CNBC report.

President Donald Trump has said he will not wear a mask.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 1.01 million as of Tuesday evening, with more than 58,000 deaths, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.