Texas Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert has no plans to stop the spread of the coronavirus personally by wearing a mask, even as infection rates reach catastrophic levels in his home state.
Gohmert, who is 66, regularly attends sessions on the floor of the house without a mask. The lawmaker told CNN on Friday that he has no intention of using one unless he contracts the deadly virus, despite health experts and even Republicans urging Americans to wear masks in public to combat the spread.
“I do not have the coronavirus, it turns out that until yesterday I never had it. But if I understand, you will never see me without a mask, ”he said.
When asked about concerns about asymptomatic spread, Gohmert spiked his heels: “But I’m still being tested and I don’t have it. So I’m not afraid of you, but if I do, I’ll put on a mask.
The comments follow the Texas governor’s moves this week to stop the state’s reopening as COVID-19 cases reach record levels: Almost every day this week the state saw more than 5,000 new infections.
