It doesn't matter when your state opened or closed over the spread of coronavirus if people don't follow recommendations on wearing masks and social distancing, Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Friday.
"Look at California. They shut down early," Adams said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "They had some of the strictest measures. They reopened slowly and later than other places, and they are seeing a resurgence there."
The message the American people need to hear is that they have the power to control the spread of COVID-19, if they take simple measures, regardless of where their states are in terms of reopening, he said.
"That includes when you go out in public, staying 6 feet apart at least whenever you can, and making sure you are wearing a face covering," Adams said, adding that people have heard the same message from other officials such as Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Vice President Mike Pence.
Adams also insisted that masks are "instruments of freedom," said Adams.
"I know a lot of people feel they inhibit their choice and their freedom, but if more of us wear these, we will slow the spread of disease and get back to worship, get back to work and get back to school sooner," said Adams.
However, he said he prefers that people wear masks because they know it's the right thing to do and because they feel that they benefit from it, but the administration does support any governor or place that wants to have a mandate.
Adams also warned against feeling complacent because the national death rates have not climbed along with the numbers of positive cases.
"We know that deaths lag at least two weeks and could lag even more," he said. "What we are really worried about, particularly with young people, is if they get it and then they spread it to their grandmother or to their grandfather."