President Joe Biden came up in a mask for the first time in months on Tuesday, a day after his wife tested positive for COVID-19. However, the president promptly removed it during a ceremony honoring an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran, and the two unmasked octogenarians shook hands before leaving.
Biden, who tested negative for the virus earlier in the day, will wear a mask indoors but remove it when standing away from people, according to the White House.
Reality differed from the stated routine, showing how complicated coronavirus measures may become when the national emergency has ended and mask restrictions have been lifted yet the virus is spreading. When a new booster becomes ready next month, doctors hope to get more shots in arms. Hospitalizations are higher, but not as much.
Biden and Capt. Larry Taylor, who unmasked in the East Room, stood side by side as a commendation was read, then Biden reached behind the vet’s body to place the medal around his neck. Face-to-face, they shook hands enthusiastically.
CDC recommends wearing a mask and monitoring for symptoms for 10 days after coronavirus exposure.
Saturday, Biden and his wife visited Florida to assess Hurricane Idalia damage. The Bidens spent Labor Day weekend at their Delaware beach property before the president went to a union gathering in Philadelphia without his wife on Monday and then back to the White property.
First lady Jill Biden planned to stay at the Rehoboth Beach residence for the week and arrange replacement teachers for her northern Virginia community college lectures. The White House said the president would test again before leaving for the Group of 20 summit in India on Thursday.
Biden spent fewer than 15 minutes at Tuesday’s Medal of Honor presentation. The CDC recommends 15 minutes for casual contact between two persons to spread COVID-19, although it can spread faster.
COVID hospitalizations have increased from 6,000 a week at the start of the summer to over 15,000 the week of Aug. 19, according to federal data. According to the CDC, COVID hospitalizations are minimal throughout 96% of the country.
Late August COVID deaths in the U.S. rose to 2% from 1.7% the week before.
The CDC advises COVID-19 patients to stay home for five days and wear a good mask inside. The CDC advises non-infected persons to stay away from infected people until their home isolation period expires. The CDC advises wearing a high-quality mask, washing hands, and taking other infection-prevention steps when near an infected family member.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would mask indoors unless distant from others and follow CDC regulations.
She stated they advocate masking, testing, and monitoring for symptoms, which he has no symptoms, so we’ll follow those guidelines. She wouldn’t specify if Biden would be tested daily until he went for India.
The president would have to cancel the trip, which includes stops in Vietnam and a military station in Alaska to commemorate the 9/11 attacks, if he gets the virus again.
White House officials wouldn’t discuss alternatives if Biden couldn’t travel. National security advisor Jake Sullivan said the government had “long experience from the early days of the administration in managing for situations in which COVID plays a role in summits.”
“As you know, we’ve seen various leaders at various times participate virtually in events,” Sullivan added.
The last time the president wore a mask in public was last summer when the Bidens had COVID-19. He just announced that he will ask Congress for more money to create a coronavirus vaccine.
Officials expect improved COVID-19 vaccinations with XBB.1.5 omicron strain. It’s a big difference from today’s combo shots, which combine the original coronavirus strain with last year’s most frequent omicron variations. Since the virus mutates, fresh vaccines will constantly be needed.
