EDITORIAL: Time for public to embrace wearing masks

If President Donald Trump can do it, so can you. It’s time to wear a mask.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump gave his first news briefing on the coronavirus crisis in months. In contrast to his previous efforts to downplay what is happening, it was a sobering reality check. He acknowledged the many states, like Nevada, are dealing with a dramatic rise in coronavirus cases. Nevada reported over two dozen coronavirus deaths on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Although reporting delays may mean those deaths may not have happened on the same day, it’s a staggering toll.

“It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is.”

Confronting — and ultimately ending — the coronavirus crisis requires this kind of directness. Mr. Trump obviously prefers to play the role of America’s biggest cheerleader. That line of rhetoric has served him well. America is a country worth celebrating too. But a different tone is required during a once-in-century pandemic. The American public rightly soured on the president’s previous refusal to match his rhetoric with the gravity of the situation.

Ironically, Mr. Trump’s previous attitude distracted from the success his administration has had confronting the virus. Despite weeks of hype, there was no ventilator shortage. Hospital systems have been strained, but not broken. That was true even in New York where Gov. Andrew Cuomo exacerbated his state’s death toll by forcing nursing homes to accept coronavirus patients.

Another welcome change was Mr. Trump’s about-face on mask wearing. For months, he refused to wear a mask in public before donning one during a visit to Walter Reed two weeks ago. Now he’s urging the public to mask up.

“We’re asking everybody when you’re not able to socially distance to wear a mask,” Trump said.

Federalism means the president can’t mandate mask wearing nationwide. Governors can and should, however. Mr. Trump should help promote this by frequently wearing a mask in public.

This doesn’t mean you have to oversell what masks can do. It’s OK to acknowledge that they’re uncomfortable and make it hard for some to breathe. It’s OK to acknowledge that they look goofy. It’s OK to acknowledge that it’s not a cure-all. Gov. Steve Sisolak imposed a mask mandate on Nevadans in late June. The percentage of Nevadans testing positive for coronavirus and number hospitalizations have increased since then.

None of that changes the fact that wearing a mask helps slow the spread. When you’re in the middle of a pandemic, some help is better than nothing. Wear a mask.