YouTube suspends Republican Senator Rand Paul for 7 days over mask claims

According to a YouTube spokesman, US Senator Rand Paul has been banned for seven days after releasing a video stating that masks are useless against COVID-19.

"This resulted in a first strike on the channel, which means it can't upload content for a week, per our longstanding three-strikes policy," the spokesperson said.

"We apply our policies consistently across the platform, regardless of the speaker or political views, and we make exceptions for videos that have additional context such as countervailing views from local health authorities."

Paul's tweet provided a link to a different site where the video could be seen.

According to YouTube, some of the problematic information in the video included the following line: "The majority of over-the-counter masks are ineffective. They don't keep you from being infected."

On Tuesday, the Kentucky Republican called the suspension a "badge of honour" and chastised YouTube for its decision.

"This type of restriction is a dangerous, terribly anti-free expression," Paul warned in a statement on his official website.

Hospitalisations are at an all-time high in the last six months:

COVID-19 is on the rise in the United States this summer, as the more infectious delta variant spreads.

According to real-time statistics gathered by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering, COVID-19 has killed over 618,000 Americans and 4.3 million people globally.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 58.8% of Americans aged 12 and above are completely vaccinated against COVID-19.

Hospital admissions in the United States have reached their highest level in six months.

Each day, around 9,300 people are being hospitalised, the largest number of patients seeking care since April.

COVID-19-related paediatric admissions per capita are likewise at an all-time high for the epidemic.

(With inputs from agencies)