White House Scales Back Coronavirus Precautions

The White House is scaling back some of its coronavirus precautions—although it will be a different story for anybody who will get close to the president or the vice president. White House spokesman Judd Deere said Monday that mandatory temperature checks for all visitors to the White House complex have ended as Washington, DC, enters Phase 2 of reopening, NBC reports. Tents stationed along the north entrance to the complex, where staffers had been conducting temperature checks and asking visitors whether they had experienced COVID-19 symptoms, have been removed, reports NPR.

"In addition to social distancing, hand sanitizer, regular deep cleaning of all work spaces, and voluntary facial coverings, every staff member and guest in close proximity to the president and vice president is still being temperature checked, asked symptom histories, and tested for COVID-19," Deere said, per the AP. He said the same precautions would also apply to members of the press pool. The temperature checks were introduced in March. In May, White House employees and visitors were told to wear face masks, but press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said last week that masks are now "recommended but not required." (More White House stories.)