The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says that people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks outside in certain situations.
As President Joe Biden walked to the podium, which was outside, to speak about the new guidelines on Tuesday, he was sporting a mask and aviator sunglasses.
President Biden walks out of the White House (wearing a mask) to speak about the pandemic fight and new CDC guidance loosening mask recommendations for fully vaccinated people pic.twitter.com/NK4ycw44Lc
— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) April 27, 2021
After his remarks, a reporter asked, “You chose to wear a mask as you walked out here. What message were you sending by wearing a mask outside alone?”
Biden responded, “By watching me take it off and not put it back on until I get inside.”
As he walked away from the podium, Biden did not wear a mask while he was outside.
Watch the video below:
On Tuesday, the CDC released its new mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people. The agency now says vaccinated people can participate in outdoor activities, such as walking and hiking, without wearing masks but should wear masks in public spaces.
Biden recently raised eyebrows for wearing a mask during a Zoom call with world leaders on climate change, as IJR reported.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden wore a mask during the virtual summit because, “He is sending a message to the world that he is putting in place precautions and continuing to do that as leader of the United States.”
“But obviously, he had a pool there for portions. There were additional staff there, additional personnel. And that’s the sort of model that we try to keep ourselves to,” she added.