White House eases COVID protocols as emergency lifts

Pandemic-era rules on COVID-19 testing for White House journalists are being loosened as the public health emergency declaration expires Thursday

Biden (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Pandemic-era rules on COVID-19 testing for White House journalists are being loosened as the public health emergency declaration expires Thursday. It’s another sign of how a vast web of policies designed to limit the spread of the virus is dissipating.

As part of the shift, reporters will no longer be required to get tested for COVID-19 while covering events with President Joe Biden in Washington. The rules have applied to journalists who are in the pool, a rotating group that covers the president on behalf of the press corps.

In addition, the White House won’t ask reporters whether they’re vaccinated.

However, reporters will still need to take COVID-19 tests to fly on Air Force One or Air Force Two, which is used by Vice President Kamala Harris, or before interviews with key administration figures.