White House drops COVID-19 rule that those around Biden, Harris must test negative

The White House on Monday lifted regulations on those working in close contact with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, no longer requiring a negative COVID-19 test.

The decision marks the end of one of the last remaining federal restrictions from the pandemic era.

The White House has pointed to changing guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a key factor in its policies surrounding COVID-19.

On March 1, the CDC officially dropped its recommendation for people to isolate themselves for five days after a positive COVID test.

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President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris stand onstage and wave to the crowd at a "Reproductive Freedom Campaign Rally" at George Mason University in Manassas, Virginia, in January 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The agency’s new guidance tells people to stay home if they are sick, but when they are feeling better and have been fever-free for 24 hours, they can return to school or work.

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A general view of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta. (REUTERS/Tami Chappell/File Photo)

Prior to this most recent update, the CDC called for people who test positive for the virus to "stay home for at least five days and isolate from others in your home," a recommendation that was implemented in late 2021.

The contrast between the CDC's rhetoric about COVID-19 during the pandemic and afterward has caused controversy among some.

In response to last week's change in guidance, a community called LC/DC, which describes itself as non-partisan, is planning a protest at the Lincoln Memorial on March 15.

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A sign advertises a COVID-19 vaccination site in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

"LC/DC is fighting to raise awareness about long COVID, and we recognize that reducing the isolation policy will result in more infections, long-term illnesses and disability," said Paul Hennessy, one of the three main organizers of the planned event.

The demonstration at Lincoln Memorial will take place on March 15 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.