“Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” she added. “He has been in contact with members of the White House staff by phone this morning, and will participate in his planned meetings at the White House this morning via phone and Zoom from the residence.”
Biden, 79, has had a protective bubble around him for most of the pandemic, including regular, proactive testing for himself and aides, as well as socially distanced meetings with staff whenever possible.
But the White House relaxed many of its COVID-19 restrictions, such as indoor mask-wearing, as the administration contended with pandemic fatigue ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Biden spoke at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, even though Dr. Anthony Fauci skipped it. Biden has called for more COVID-19 funding from Congress and marked more than 1 million U.S. deaths from the virus.
“We take additional measures that go beyond what the CDC protocols and requirements are to ensure that we’re doing everything we can to keep principals safe — the president, the vice president, and others, of course, in the building,” then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in April of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
