President Biden signs executive order requiring masks on federal property

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– President Joe Biden says getting the pandemic under control is his top priority. Hours after being sworn into office, President Biden signed an executive order that imposes a mask mandate for those on federal property.

Although presidents cannot force cities and states to follow suit, the president hopes people in the U.S. will still wear facial coverings when appropriate.

This presidential push comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the U.S. has confirmed more than 140 cases of a virus variant first identified in the United Kingdom. The CDC’s latest ensemble forecast also projects up to 508,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. by February 13.