KEY POINTS

  • The White House dismantled the tents for mandatory temperature checks and COVID-19 screening on June 22
  • Staff members who work closely with Trump and Pence will still need to have regular checks
  • At least eight staff members tested positive for COVID-19 at Trump's Tulsa rally on June 20

The tents for mandatory COVID-19 temperature checks and symptom screening at the White House entrance have been removed, as deputy press secretary Judd Deere confirmed they are scrapping the process of checking most staff and visitors effective Monday (June 22).

Washington, D.C. entered its second phase of reopening on Monday as well, prompting the White House to drop mandatory checks. However, staff members who work "in close proximity to the president and vice president" will still have to be tested for their temperature and COVID-19 symptoms regularly.

This protocol will also still apply to the press pool that covers the White House every day. Members of the White House Correspondents’ Association were informed that they will still have to follow the safety measures as before, which include social distancing, face mask-wearing, and working from home if they don't have anything to cover at the White House.

Deere also said that, despite the relaxing of safety measures for the majority, White House staff members are still expected to observe social distancing, use of hand sanitizers, and deep cleaning of their work areas. Face masks, however, are no longer required in the West Wing, according to NBC News.

The White House adopted the face mask rule in May, weeks after the rest of the American public was advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to use face covering as an added protection to slow down the virus' spread.

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Senior White House staff and reporters are seen wearing masks as President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at an update briefing on testing capacity Monday, May 11, 2020, in the Rose Garden of the White House. Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead

White House's push to scrap the screenings comes two days after the president held his first major rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where eight staff tested positive for COVID-19.

Six staff members working on the campaign were positive for the virus before the rally started and were reportedly isolated. Two more staff members, who are Secret Service agents, tested positive on Saturday (June 20), according to CNBC.

"These staff members attended the rally but were wearing masks during the entire event. Upon the positive tests, the campaign immediately activated established quarantine and contact tracing protocols," Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign communications director, confirmed Monday.

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