Among first acts, Biden to call for 100 days of mask-wearing

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Joe Biden says he will ask Americans to commit to 100 days of wearing masks as one of his first acts as president.

He stopped just short Thursday of the nationwide mandate he’s pushed before to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The move would mark a notable shift from President Donald Trump, whose own skepticism of mask-wearing has contributed to a politicization of the issue.

That’s made many people reticent to embrace a practice that public health experts say is one of the easiest tools to manage the pandemic, which has killed more than 275,000 Americans.

The president-elect has frequently emphasized mask-wearing as a “patriotic duty."