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A person riding the New York City subway wears a mask.

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Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the US coronavirus task force, said on Saturday that the “average American” did not need to “go out and buy” a mask to protect themselves from coronavirus.

At time same time, the vice president said the US was working with 3M and other manufacturers to produce at least 35 million more masks per month.

as Americans grapple with the possibility of an outbreak in the US.

The US surgeon general in a tweet told people to stop buying masks, calling them “NOT effective.”

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Vice President Mike Pence said at a press conference Saturday that followed the first US coronavirus death that there was no need for people in the US to buy and wear masks to protect themselves from COVID-19.

At a press conference Saturday, Trump and Pence, joined by other administration officials, spoke about coronavirus following the death of a person in Washington state.

“The president mentioned masks,” Pence said. “This morning we talked a great deal about additional medical supplies. Let me be very clear, and I’m sure the physicians who are up here will reflect this as well. The average American does not need to go out and buy a mask.”