White House spokesman Kevin Munoz said in a statement to CNN that the White House “maintains strong protocols related to Covid-19 in order to create a safe workplace for its employees,” such as wearing a mask, distancing yourself social and “regular testing”.
“Our testing protocol is informed by a number of factors, including the employee’s vaccination status, and is just one of a series of measures in place to reduce risk in the workplace,” said Munoz.
Before the move, only those who came in contact with a major leader – such as President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris or another senior team – were tested daily. If a team member was not in contact with these people, they were no longer being tested daily.
Masks were mandatory, Covid-19 tests were expanded and room capacity measures were implemented. Zeke Miller, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said in January that “things are different” at the White House now that Biden has taken over, adding that “all of these things make the workplace a little safer.”
The situation at the White House reflects the state of the pandemic in the country in general, as many states and cities relax some of Covid’s protocols. However, concerns remain about the potential for a new peak due to variants of the virus.
The government is investing billions of dollars to increase preparedness for the coronavirus, accelerating the pace of vaccinations and working to prepare the public and governors for the prospect of another outbreak. The authorities have searched data to trace the path of the virus, mapping different scenarios and drawing up plans for how the federal government would take action.
This story has been updated with additional information.