The White House said the change aligns its policies with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidan♔ce.
The White House on Monday lifted its Covid-19 testing requirement for those who plan to be in close contact with President Joe Biden, Vice President Ka😼mala Harris and their spouses, bringing to an end the last coroꦯnavirus prevention protocol at the White House.
The White House said the change aligns its policies with the Centers for D🔥isease Control and Prevention guidance. The agency last week relaxed its recommendation that those who test positive for Covid-19 isolate for five days. Now, the agency says people can return to work or regular activities if their symptoms are mild and improving and it's been a day since the✱y've had a fever.
The White House testing protocol was instituted shortly after the pandemic began in 202💧0🦩 when former President Donald Trump was in the White House. It was further strengthened by Biden's administration when he took office amid the pandemic in January 2021.
Both Trump and Biden contracted the virus while in office. Trump required hospitalization after falling seriously ill weeks before the 2020 presid🅘ential election; Biden had minimal symptoms after catching it in the summer of 2022 after having been vaccinated.
More than 1.18 million people in the US died from Covid-19, according to CDC data and 6.85 million were hospitalized over the past four years. More than 270 million people have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in the US. The vaccines have helped dramatically reduce instances of serious🧸 disease and death since their widespread availability in early 2021.