The White House rescinded its mask and social distancing requirements for unvaccinated attendees of President Biden's NCAA championship teams celebration. Initially, guidelines mandated masks and distancing for unvaccinated guests, while vaccinated guests were exempt. However, a revised email from the White House Office of Legislative Affairs on Saturday removed the mask mandate entirely. This change comes as President Biden cancelled his appearance at the event due to a root canal procedure, with Vice President Kamala Harris attending in his place.
The White House attributed the initial guidelines to an oversight, stating they were outdated and inadvertently sent. The updated guidance simply states that "masks are not required." This shift aligns with the broader trend of hospitals and healthcare facilities relaxing masking rules as the impact of COVID-19 diminishes in everyday life.
The decision also follows recent research questioning the effectiveness of face masks. A study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published by Cochrane Library analyzed 78 randomized controlled trials and found no substantial evidence that masks significantly reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Lead author Tom Jefferson stated unequivocally that masks "make no difference," even in healthcare settings with fitted N95 masks.
