[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 134 (Wednesday, July 29, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S4596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 663--SUPPORTING MASK-WEARING AS AN IMPORTANT MEASURE 
     TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)

  Mr. TOOMEY (for himself and Mr. Bennet) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 663

       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     believes that the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 
     (referred to in this preamble as ``COVID-19'') occurs 
     primarily through respiratory droplets;
       Whereas research shows that shedding of the virus that 
     causes COVID-19 can occur 2 to 3 days before the onset of 
     symptoms;
       Whereas research conducted long before the COVID-19 
     pandemic has shown the utility of wearing masks in providing 
     protection against the transmission of respiratory 
     infections;
       Whereas various types of cloth masks, including masks made 
     of cotton, gauze, and other fabrics, reduced infection rates 
     among health care workers and others during the Spanish Flu 
     pandemic of 1918 and the Manchurian plague of 1920 through 
     1921, and were used by health care workers and others to 
     protect against tuberculosis in the 1930s and 1940s;
       Whereas a study published on July 9, 2008, that tested the 
     efficacy of homemade face masks in reducing respiratory 
     infections among the general population concluded that any 
     type of general-use mask is likely to decrease viral exposure 
     and infection risk on a population level;
       Whereas a study published on May 22, 2013, that attempted 
     to test the protective value of homemade masks compared to 
     commercial masks in an influenza pandemic concluded that 
     homemade masks would be better than no facial protection at 
     all;
       Whereas, on April 3, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control 
     and Prevention recommended that the people of the United 
     States wear nonmedical, cloth masks in public places;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has 
     found that cloth face coverings fashioned from household 
     items can substantially reduce the dispersion of exhaled 
     droplets and provide acceptable breathability;
       Whereas a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention from May 11 through May 13, 2020, 
     found that 76 percent of adults support mask-wearing outside 
     of the home;
       Whereas a study published by the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention on July 17, 2020, found no secondary 
     cases of COVID-19 in 139 mask-wearing clients of 2 
     symptomatic mask-wearing hair stylists with confirmed cases 
     of COVID-19;
       Whereas the benefit of each additional cloth mask worn by 
     members of the public has been estimated to be between $3,000 
     and $6,000 due to the ability of masks to slow COVID-19 
     transmission and, as a result, to decrease mortality relating 
     to the virus that causes COVID-19; and
       Whereas a study published in BMJ found that mask-wearing by 
     both infected individuals and the contacts of those 
     individuals to be 79 percent effective in reducing COVID-19 
     transmission: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the importance of mask-wearing in limiting 
     the transmission of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (referred to 
     in this resolution as ``COVID-19'');
       (2) recognizes that medical-grade masks should be reserved 
     for use in health care settings and among vulnerable 
     populations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic;
       (3) recognizes that mask-wearing should be coupled with 
     other measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control 
     and Prevention and State and local public health agencies, 
     including frequent handwashing and physical distancing, to 
     further reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission; and
       (4) encourages the people of the United States to wear 
     masks in indoor public places, in accordance with the 
     guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, at times when physical distancing is not 
     allowable to protect against unknown transmission of COVID-
     19.

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