WASHINGTON — The White House is no longer requiring people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear masks on its campus.
According to The New York Times, the new pandemic policy, which went into effect Tuesday, was revealed Monday in a memo to White House employees.
“Some individuals will choose to continue to wear masks to protect themselves,” the message read. “We must respect those choices.”
Unvaccinated people must still wear masks, undergo COVID-19 tests and maintain a safe distance from others, the Times reported.
As of Tuesday morning, the Republican Party had not commented publicly on the change.
The move came after Congress’ Office of the Attending Physician announced Sunday that masks would be optional on the House floor, where President Joe Biden is slated to give his State of the Union address Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
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On Monday, the average number of new coronavirus cases per day in Washington, D.C., was 87, down 46% from 14 days earlier, according to the Times. In the same time period, the average number of daily hospitalizations declined by 44%, the newspaper reported.
Case counts appeared to be on the decline nationally, as well. As of Monday, the U.S. was averaging just over 64,000 new infections per day, a decline of 59% in the past two weeks, according to the Times. Daily hospitalizations and deaths also fell by 44% and 23%, respectively, the Times reported.
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Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance, saying 70% of people in the U.S. will be able to stop wearing masks indoors, including inside schools.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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