Joe Biden Says He Will Ask Americans to Wear Masks for the First 100 Days of His Presidency

President-elect Joe Biden’s administration will not officially begin until January 20, 2021, but he’s already letting Americans know what they can expect—especially when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. 

As the number of cases continues to surge across the United States, Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper on December 3 he will ask Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days in office.  “Just 100 days to mask, not forever. One hundred days. And I think we’ll see a significant reduction,” he said. (The CDC continues to recommend “that people wear masks in public settings, like on public and mass transportation, at events and gatherings, and anywhere they will be around other people.”) 

Biden also revealed he has asked Anthony Fauci, M.D., the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the most public experts on COVID-19, to continue his role. “I asked him to stay on the exact same role he’s had for the past several presidents, and I asked him to be a chief medical adviser for me as well, and be part of the COVID team,” he said. 

As for the possible coronavirus vaccines, Joe Biden said he’s ready to take one once approved. (Both Pfizer and Moderna have submitted their versions for emergency FDA approval, which could come later this month.) “That’s the moment in which I will stand before the public,” he said of getting the vaccine himself. “People have lost faith in the ability of the vaccine to work. Already the numbers are really staggeringly low, and it matters what the president and vice president do.”

Former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama have also indicated they are willing to publicly receive the vaccine once it’s approved and they are eligible. “I think that my three predecessors have set the model as to what should be done, saying, ‘Once it’s declared to be safe...then obviously we take it and it’s important to communicate to the American people,’” Biden said to CNN.

We can’t wait for that day—and in the meantime, wear your masks. 

Originally Appeared on Glamour