WASHINGTON – 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.
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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.