Trump tells Americans to 'wear face masks if they wish' as reports say WH to issue new guidelines 

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Americans should wear protective face masks if they wish, but insisted that he was not considering making it mandatory for all Americans to cover their faces.

As of Thursday evening, the United States had a total of more than 243,000 declared cases and over 5,900 fatalities, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Meanwhile, New York mayor Bill de Blasio urged all of the city's residents to cover their faces when outside and near others to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

"Let's be clear. This is a face covering. It could be a scarf. It could be something you create yourself at home. It could be a bandana," de Blasio told reporters, as the city recorded almost 50,000 confirmed cases, including 1,562 deaths.

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