Trump, in a shift in rhetoric on facial coverings, encouraged Americans on Tuesday to wear a mask if they cannot maintain social distance from people around them in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"When you can use the mask, if you're close to each other, if you're in a group, I would put it on when I'm in a group," he said.

In his first briefing focused on the pandemic in months, Trump told reporters at the White House that the virus will probably get worse before it gets better.

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