He confounded two separate issues with the guidance on masks. The decision on use of masks and the need for ample supplies for our healthcare workers are two separate issues. The guidance could have been more honest which could have further reduced the spread. I think he chose poorly.
That decision cost people their lives. How many I cannot say but it surely had an impact on transmission rates having Americans not wearing masks for a month. Just like telling at risk patients to stay home without any guidance until they are severely ill cost people their lives. How about some guidance like the Virginia Hospital protocol that suggests Vitamin D3, Zinc, Quercetin, etc to aid the bodies defenses? Just like not providing LTC workers with proper PPE which has cost many lives. This is what happens when you choose poorly.
Numbers like to suggest that SK's success is due to testing and contact tracing. I believe those approaches greatly aided SK, but they also chose very wisely on a number of other issues including masks, protecting at risk pops, early treatments, etc. We were turning away people for testing at the beginning because they had no travel to China or contact with those who did. That was a poor choice as well as most of our spread came through Europe.