Trump remains maskless at Michigan Ford plant after testing 'positively towards negative'

US President Donald Trump on Thursday visited a Ford Motor Co plant in Michigan in another maskless tour amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ford plant in Michigan, a crucial state for the US President, has been mass-producing ventilators and personal protective equipment. Upon reaching there, Trump held discussions with the local African-American leaders to discuss vulnerable populations hit by the virus. 

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The President's disregard for wearing masks has been a repeated occurrence throughout his press addresses and tours. A few weeks ago, Trump visited a mask distribution centre in Pennsylvania, without wearing a mask himself. Asking all the staff around him to don the masks, Trump toured the Owens & Minor Inc distribution centre, which has been one of the frontline organisations sending millions of N95 masks, surgical gowns and gloves to hospitals, without wearing essential PPE himself.

Meanwhile, in his meeting with African-American leaders, Trump stressed on the need to reopen churches, which like other parts of society have been affected by social distancing policies aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.

Michigan is a crucial state for Trump who won the state in the 2016 election, the first Republican to do since 1988. However, he has been on loggerheads with present Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, seen as a potential vice-presidential running candidate for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. 

Read: Donald Trump Goes Maskless To Tour Medical Equipment Facility In Pennsylvania

Before leaving for Michigan, Trump had made a sarcastic remark in front of the reporters saying that he 'tested positively toward negative' for coronavirus.  Trump said, "I tested very positively in another sense. I tested positively toward negative. I tested perfectly this morning, meaning I tested negative."

A few days ago Trump was criticized for touting anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to combat COVID-19 when he revealed that he has been taking the drug for over a week to prevent himself from contracting coronavirus infection. He added, “I’m taking it, hydroxychloroquine. Right now, yeah. A couple of weeks ago, I started taking it. Cause I think it’s good, I’ve heard a lot of good stories.”  This comes even though studies have revealed that the hydroxychloroquine is causing more deaths in the coronavirus infected people. 

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(With Agency Inputs)