President Biden turned up in a mask for the first time in months on Tuesday, a day after his wife tested positive for COVID-19. But the president quickly ditched it during a ceremony honoring an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran, and the two unmasked octogenarians shared a hearty handshake before they parted. The White House had said earlier that Biden, who had tested negative for the virus earlier in the day, would wear a mask indoors, but that he might remove it when standing at a distance from others, the AP reports. People who are exposed to the coronavirus should wear a mask and monitor for symptoms for 10 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The reality looked somewhat different from the promised protocol, a reflection of how messy coronavirus precautions can become at a time when the national emergency has ended and so have mask mandates, but the virus keeps spreading. Hospitalizations are up, but not like they were before, and doctors are hoping to get more shots in arms next month when a new booster becomes available. Biden and Capt. Larry Taylor, who both took off their masks after entering the East Room, stood side by side as a commendation was read aloud, and then Biden reached around the vet's body to place the medal around his neck. The two then stood face-to-face and shook hands.
Biden was at Tuesday's Medal of Honor event for less than 15 minutes. CDC officials have used 15 minutes as a rough guideline for how long casual contact between two people can be for COVID-19 to spread, although it is possible for the virus to spread in less time. The president is set to depart for the Group of 20 summit in India on Thursday, and the White House said he would test again before departure. The Bidens had COVID-19 last summer , which is about the last time the president wore a mask in public. (More COVID-19 stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
