The White House announced that all unvaccinated visitors must wear masks and distance themselves from others.
According to an email obtained by Fox News, lawmakers invited to attend “College Athlete Day,” where athletes from championship collegiate teams are allowed to visit the White House, were told to mask up for the event if they are unvaccinated.
“Masking Guidance: Fully vaccinated guests are not required to wear a mask on the White House grounds,” the email from the White House Office of Legislative Affairs said [bold original]. “Guests who are not fully vaccinated must wear a mask at all times and maintain at least 6 feet distance from others while on the White House grounds.”
BREAKING REPORT: White House Brings Back Face Masks, Social Distancing for those who are NOT vaccinated.. -BECKER NEWS
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) June 10, 2023
COVID-19 tests will not be required for the event, which will occur on June 12, 2023. It will include teams from all over the U.S., with the notable absence of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football champions, Georgia Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs released a statement in May 2023, stating, “The date suggested is not feasible given the student-athlete calendar any time of year.”
The masking requirements come months after President Joe Biden declared the COVID-19 national emergency over.
In April 2023, Biden signed a resolution ending all emergency orders relating to COVID-19 after lawmakers in the House passed the resolution. The emergency declaration, first declared in March 2020 by former President Donald Trump, eventually led to strict social distancing rules, closed small businesses and schools, and mask and vaccine mandates.
“The President signed into law: H.J.Res. 7, which terminates the national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the White House said in a short news release.
Upon becoming president, Biden took an unfriendly approach toward those who declined to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The president called COVID-19 “a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” and called for parents to vaccinate their kids. “It’s the best way to protect them,” Biden said.
The Biden administration attempted to enforce a vaccine mandate through the Department of Labor but was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court after multiple companies and organizations, including The Daily Wire, filed lawsuits to challenge the mandate.
