President Joe Biden wore a face mask at an event on Tuesday after coming into close contact with first lady Jill Biden, who tested positive for COVID on Monday. However, he also quickly removed them – and did not put them back on, despite the White House saying he would wear one.
Biden, who presented Capt. Larry Taylor with a Congressional Medal of Honor, removed the black face covering during the prayer portion of the ceremony.
The president remains negative and is not showing any symptoms after testing Monday evening and Tuesday morning, but will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for testing and masking, the White House said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre warned Biden that he would remove his mask indoors if he maintains a “sufficient” distance from others.
“He will mask indoors and around people, consistent with CDC guidelines and as has been customary in the past.” “The President will remove his mask when he is sufficiently distanced from others indoors and outdoors.” she said on Tuesday before the ceremony.
President Joe Biden accompanies retired Army Captain Larry Taylor, Medal of Honor recipient – both wearing face masks
President Biden removes his face mask during the ceremony
President Biden removed his face covering to award Captain Taylor the Medal of Honor
Both Biden and Taylor removed their face coverings as they stood on stage in the East Room. But they stood side by side – unmasked – as the president placed the medal around Taylor’s neck.
The president didn’t put his mask back on as he left the East Room, but gave a thumbs up when asked how first lady Jill Biden was doing, saying she was “fine.”
Meanwhile, Jill Biden missed the first day of school on Tuesday. The first lady, who teaches English at Northern Virginia Community College, is arranging a replacement for her classes.
“She is working with NOVA to ensure her classes are covered by substitution,” her office said.
The first lady remains at the couple’s home in Rehoboth Beach, where she was staying when she tested positive. The Bidens spent a long holiday weekend at their vacation home and traveled together to Florida on Saturday to view the damage from Hurricane Idalia.
Jill Biden has mild symptoms and will stay in Delaware for a week. President Biden tested negative for COVID-19 last night and tested negative again today. “He has no symptoms,” Jean-Pierre noted.
“There are no updates to the White House COVID-19 protocols at this time,” she noted.
COVID cases are increasing across the country. Nationwide, COVID hospitalizations rose nearly 19% and deaths rose more than 21% in a single week, according to CDC data from late August.
Two new variants: The Omicron variant EG.5 – nicknamed Eris – has become established in the USA, while BA.2.86 is beginning to spread.
The first lady, 72, usually teaches on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is unclear when she will return to the White House and what her regular schedule will be.
Jill Biden was also scheduled to attend a dinner Tuesday evening for U.S. athletes competing in the Invictus Games, the games for wound warriors founded by Prince Harry.
She had to cancel this appearance.
President Joe Biden is awarding the Medal of Honor to Capt. Larry Taylor, a Vietnam War Army pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team about to be overrun by the enemy
President Joe Biden remains negative for COVID, while Jill Biden missed the first day of school after testing positive
President Joe Biden will again wear a face mask around people starting in January 2022
Despite his close contact with his wife, President Biden remains negative.
The couple spent Sunday night together at their Rehoboth Beach home before Joe flew to Philadelphia on Monday to mark Labor Day by speaking to union members.
In a statement released Monday, Jill’s spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander said, “This evening the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19.”
“She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms.” “She will remain at her home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware,” Alexander said.
Jill Biden already had COVID-19 last August and got stuck at the property where the couple was vacationing on Kiawah Island in South Carolina.
She was prescribed the antiviral Paxlovid and tested positive a few days later, with another case of COVID.
President Biden tested positive for COVID last July. He was also treated with Paxlovid and suffered a rebound case days later.
Both the President and the First Lady have been vaccinated and boosted.
The president is expected to leave for the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, on Thursday.
“All travelers, including the president, will be tested before traveling to India,” Jean-Pierre said, noting that Biden will conduct the tests “at regular intervals.”
She would answer questions about what would happen if Biden tested negative en route to the trip and how often he would test while there.
The first lady was not expected to be present.
Jill Biden visited a school in Wisconsin last week
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden traveled to Florida together on Saturday
While COVID cases are rising, neither the president nor the first lady have worn a mask in public recently.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently caused a stir when he acknowledged that there was a lack of data on whether masks could stop the spread of the virus.
“When you talk about the impact on the epidemic or the pandemic as a whole, the data is less meaningful,” Fauci said recently on CNN. “But there are also other studies that show at the individual level that they may be protective.”