Most White House officials and staff will be asked to wear protective masks or face covering in public space on the complex grounds after a few staffers tested positive for COVID-19 last week, according to a directive issued Monday.
In a memo to White House staff, obtained by the Washington Post and Bloomberg News, the request was made for those entering the White House’s West Wing to wear “mask or facial covering,” according to an update from Bloomberg News’ Jennifer Jacobson.
Memo to WH staff says everyone who enters West Wing required to wear "mask or facial covering." Staff not required to wear a facial covering while at desks if they're socially distanced from colleagues. But people are to avoid unnecessary visits to West Wing, memo says.
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 11, 2020
Individuals were also asked to avoid visits to the West Wing if at all possible. The directive comes just days after a couple of White House staffers for President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence tested positive for COVID-19.
The request does not apply to offices, however, and President Trump is still unlikely to wear a mask or face covering, aides told the Washington Post.
The president is scheduled to share remarks on the role of testing in reopening the nation’s economy Monday afternoon.
Last week, one of Trump’s personal Navy valets tested positive for the virus that has now infected millions of Americans. A couple of days later, Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday.
After Miller’s diagnosis, Trump said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading through the White House. Still, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex on Friday.
Though it hadn't previously been common for White House officials to wear mask, last month the Trump administration, in concert with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, recommended that Americans wear face coverings when outside of their home.
