Joe Biden leads criticism of Donald Trump after president urges America ‘don’t be afraid’ of Covid-19

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a NBC Town Hall

Credit: AP

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Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, has hit out at Donald Trump for downplaying the severity of coronavirus. 

Just hours after the president returned to the White House following a three day hospital stay and removed his face mask, Mr Biden gave a swift reprimand: “Masks matter.”

"I would hope that the president, having gone through what he went through – and I’m glad he seems to be coming along pretty well – would communicate the right lesson to the American people," Mr Biden said at a NBC News town hall from Miami, Florida.

In a video released shortly after leaving Walter Reed Medical Centre, Mr Trump urged Americans "get out there" and not to be afraid of the virus. Although he wore a mask upon leaving hospital, the 74-year-old president later removed it for a photo opportunity. 

“Don’t let it dominate you. Don’t be afraid of it,” Mr Trump said. "We’re going back, we’re going back to work. We’re going to be out front… Don’t let it dominate your lives.”

"Tell that to the 205,000 families who lost somebody," Mr Biden fired back as he campaigned in Florida.

LIVE: Joe Biden joins @LesterHoltNBC for a town hall discussion in Miami, Florida. #BidenTownHall https://t.co/LqJrW0Rc3Y

— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 6, 2020

Coronavirus has killed more than 1 million people worldwide and more than 209,000 in the United States alone — the highest death toll of any country.

During his election campaign Mr Biden has seized upon the president’s handling of the pandemic, focusing on his unwillingness to wear a face mask. 

“Masks matter. These masks, they matter. It matters. It saves lives,” he told NBC moderator Lester Holt.

“It prevents the spread of the disease. Social distancing – the only thing I heard was one of the tweets saying that, you know, don’t be so concerned about all this, essentially. There’s a lot to be concerned about.”

Mr Biden told the town hall that he “wasn’t surprised” when Mr Trump contracted the virus, explaining that it can spread easily whenever people neglect mask wearing and social distancing measures. 

“I view wearing this mask not so much protecting me, but as a patriotic responsibility,” he added. 

Coronavirus USA Spotlight Chart — cases default

The 77-year-old, who tested negative after sharing a stage with Mr Trump during the first democratic debate, has continued his campaign since the president’s diagnosis. 

Florida was the most important of a dozen states that had voter registration deadlines on Monday. 

According to political analysts, Mr Trump has almost no path to victory if he does not win the state, which is one of the most competitive for candidates. 

Following his stint in Florida, Mr Biden will travel to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, capitalising on having the campaign trail largely to himself whilst Mr Trump recovers.