The step forward is that he is now acknowledging that whether mask usage is made mandatory is up to the states, not the federal government. He is merely calling for the governors to impose mandates.
The step back is now that he has outlined his policy in more detail, it does not seem at all scientifically supported. He says that all Americans should wear masks “when they’re outside, for the next three months at minimum.”
When they’re outside? Faye Flam writes at Bloomberg Opinion:
Risk communication consultant Peter Sandman says he was puzzled by Biden’s statements. “Did he misspeak, saying ‘outdoors’ when he meant ‘indoors’? Did he misunderstand the briefings he has been getting from experts, who surely told him transmission is at least an order of magnitude likelier indoors than outdoors?”
The latest evidence about aerosol transmission points to indoor environments being the primary risk.
The good news is that the governors are free to ignore Biden’s advice, as they should.