Architect of the Capitol now mandates face coverings for its workers

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The Architect of the Capitol mandated on Tuesday that all its employees wear some sort of face covering while on Capitol Hill in order to mitigate the spread the novel coronavirus.

The move by the Architect of the Capitol, which is the federal agency responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the U.S. Capitol Complex, is the first federal agency to specifically order its employees to wear masks on top of the other social distancing and personal hygiene guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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“During this pandemic, we will continue doing our utmost to protect the health and lives of our employees by following the guidance of the CDC and OAP, which is evolving as they learn more about the virus and the disease it causes,” the AOC said in a statement. “The Architect of the Capitol is now mandating face coverings while on campus, and in public spaces, as an enhancement to social distancing and personal hygiene practices.”

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The Office of the Attending Physician has so far not weighed in on the order.

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The federal agency did not give a reason why it was mandating the use of face masks or other coverings, but a number of lawmakers on Capitol Hill have become infected with the contagion – most notably Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

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The Republican senator gave his first interview since recovering from COVID-19 on Monday when he made a remote appearance on “Fox and Friends” – telling the hosts that he had a mild case of the virus and that he is now volunteering at a local hospital.