White House Ends Routine COVID Testing for Press Corps

WASHINGTON — In yet another sign of the ongoing return to normalcy following the coronavirus pandemic, the White House announced Monday it will no longer require routine, asymptomatic COVID-19 testing for the press corps.

In practical terms, this means the White House is no longer requiring testing for pool reporters who travel on Air Force One and Air Force Two, that there will no longer be daily testing of reporters on official trips, and that no testing will be required in advance of press interactions with the president and other administration officials.

In announcing the new policy, the White House said it was aligning its precautions with the current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

After infection, officials said members of the press pool should stay home until they are symptom and fever free for 24 hours. They advise, however, that after a COVID-19 illness, reporters could be asked to mask, distance and test when they are on the campus.

In an email to members, Kelly O’Donnell, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, said the change in policy is “a significant development that merits reflection.”

“When COVID changed our lives four years ago, none of us imagined the immeasurable loss associated with the pandemic,” she said.

O’Donnell then thanked the members of the press corps for their “diligence, patience and adherence to various rules over these years.”

“Your cooperation improved the safety of our shared workspace,” she said.

O’Donnell went on to acknowledge “the extraordinary work” of the WHCA’s past presidents, Jonathan Karl,  Zeke Miller, Steven Portnoy and Tamara Keith, during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as that of WHCA Executive Director Stephen Thomma.  

“Their efforts kept us on the job,” she said.

“As the crisis unfolded, our WHCA found ways to preserve the protective pool despite shutdowns,” O’Donnell said. “When the American people needed access to their government, information and accountability, our White House press corps did not miss a single day of service.  

“Our WHCA, along with our employers, devised innovative ways to staff coverage with a smaller footprint, new rotations and technology,” she continued. “At briefings, instead of 49 packed seats, 14 reporters spread out and carried out our responsibilities. Each day questions were posed to officials on behalf of the public and other journalists who could not be present.”

O’Donnell closed her statement by expressing appreciation to the White House team, its medical unit and testing contractors over the course of the pandemic.

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