Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
All West Wing Employees Will Be Required To Wear Masks After Outbreak Scare At White House
The New York Times: White House Orders Staff To Wear Masks As Trump Misrepresents Testing Record
The White House on Monday ordered all West Wing employees to wear masks at work unless they are sitting at their desks, an abrupt shift in policy after two aides working near the president — a military valet and Katie Miller, the vice president’s spokeswoman — tested positive for the coronavirus last week. In an internal email obtained by The New York Times, people who work in the cramped quarters around the Oval Office were told that “as an additional layer of protection, we are requiring everyone who enters the West Wing to wear a mask or face covering.” (Shear, Haberman and Qiu, 5/11)
Reuters: White House Directs Staff To Wear Masks After Officials Contract Coronavirus
The new guidelines, released in a memo to the president’s staff on Monday afternoon, reflect a tightening of procedures at the highest levels of the U.S. government over fears that Trump and Vice President Mike Pence could be exposed to the virus. Trump’s military valet and Pence’s press secretary both tested positive for the coronavirus last week. (Holland and Mason, 5/11)
The Washington Post: White House Implements Stringent Mask Policy — But Not For Trump
The request does not apply to staff members seated at their desks if they are “appropriately socially distanced,” and Trump is not expected to wear a mask in the White House, aides said. In a sign of the haphazard effort to impose more stringent safety standards inside the White House, one senior administration official and several other aides were still arguing that masks were unnecessary for people getting regular testing just moments before the memo was sent. (Parker, Dawsey and Rucker, 5/11)
The Wall Street Journal: White House Directs Officials To Wear Masks At All Times Inside The West Wing
Mr. Trump has said he is reluctant to wear one, telling reporters in April: “I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know—somehow, I don’t see it for myself. I just don’t.” Mr. Pence recently drew criticism for not wearing a mask during a visit to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., which asked visitors to wear face coverings. The memo also directs officials to restrict in-person visits to the White House unless they’re necessary, one of the officials said. (Ballhaus and Leary, 5/12)
The Hill: White House Officials Asked To Wear Masks In West Wing
White House officials working in the West Wing are being asked to wear masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to a memo distributed to staffers on Monday. Officials in the building are being asked to wear face coverings when they're not at their desks or able to maintain social distancing from others, a White House official confirmed to The Hill. The memo, which was obtained by The Hill, also urges staffers to "avoid unnecessary visits" to the White House. (Samuels, 5/11)
NPR: After COVID-19 Infections, White House Staff To Wear Masks
Following last week's new coronavirus infections, Trump announced that he and those closest to him in the White House would now be tested on a daily basis, versus previous weekly testing protocol. (Wise, 5/11)
