Ohio Rep. Asks If Masks Work After Gov. DeWine Contracts COVID-19

COLUMBUS, OH — After Gov. Mike DeWine announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, state Rep. Nino Vitale used the opportunity to question the efficacy of face masks.

DeWine, 73, was scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on the tarmac at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland on Thursday. Prior to the event, DeWine was required to take a COVID-19 test, which came back positive. His plans to travel with Trump were then canceled.

Vitale posted an image of DeWine on Facebook, with a caption reading, "DeWine Tests Positive! I thought masks worked?"

"While I certainly wish no ill will nor poor health on the governor, I think the question must be asked. Has he not been wearing his mask, or do masks not stop the spread?" Vitale asked in a post on Facebook.

DeWine has announced he will quarantine at his home for 14 days, per Ohio's COVID-19 protocol. The governor is currently asymptomatic. It is not clear when he may have contracted the virus.

David Pepper, the Ohio Democratic Party's chairman, used profanity to describe Vitale on Twitter.

Vitale, the representative for Ohio's 85th district, has previously refused to wear a mask and asked Ohioans to stop getting tested for COVID-19. He described DeWine's government as a "dictatorship."

His comments earned a rebuke from DeWine, who has repeatedly said testing is key to officials getting control of the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have urged all Americans to wear face masks to slow the spread of COVID-19. Multiple studies have shown universal mask compliance reduces the virus' ability to spread.

"The finding adds to a growing body of evidence that cloth face coverings provide source control – that is, they help prevent the person wearing the mask from spreading COVID-19 to others. The main protection individuals gain from masking occurs when others in their communities also wear face coverings," the CDC said.

“We are not defenseless against COVID-19,” said CDC Director Dr. Robert R. Redfield in a statement. “Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus – particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”