‘Don’t touch your face,’ official warns of coronavirus — then ignores own advice

Public officials are warning people not to touch their faces to avoid spreading coronavirus, but some aren’t taking their own advice.

Sara Cody, director of the Santa Clara County’s Public Health Department in California, said to avoid touching your face during a Feb. 28 press conference, according to BuzzFeed News.

“Today, start working on not touching your face — because one main way viruses spread is when you touch your own mouth, nose or eyes,” Cody said.

In a video shared on Twitter, Cody then licked her finger to turn a page on her prepared remarks.

The CDC has advised people not to touch their eyes, nose and mouth to prevent transmitting the virus.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also warned people not to touch their faces before touching her face, according to The Washington Post.

“One of the key parts to preventing transmission is washing you hands and not touching your face,” she said. “A mask will not protect you if you don’t wash your hands and if you continue to touch your face.”

Robert R. Refield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Debbie Birx, White House coronavirus response coordinator, also touched their faces while saying it was important not to touch your face during a briefing with President Donald Trump, The Washington Post reported.

Trump has claimed that he hasn’t touched his face “for weeks,” but people were quick to point out online that it wasn’t the case, according to Politico.

“I haven’t touched my face in weeks!” Trump said. “I miss it.”

Coronavirus has infected more than 97,000 people and killed more than 3,300, according to Johns Hopkins University.

This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 2:57 PM with the headline "‘Don’t touch your face,’ official warns of coronavirus — then ignores own advice."