Washington, Nov 23 (IANS): The White House will keep its mask mandate in place even as the indoor masking rule for most public spaces in Washington, D.C. has been lifted.
"The White House follows CDC guidance, which recommends masking in areas of high or substantial transmission," Xinhua news agency quoted Kevin Munoz, White House assistant press secretary, as saying to CNN.
The nation's capital remains an area with "substantial" community transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and is currently at a rate of about 90 new weekly cases per 100,000 residents.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced her decision to drop the mandate last week but stressed wearing masks is still important.
The focus has shifted from a blanket mandate to following risk-based guidance from DC Health that accounts for current health metrics and a person's vaccination status, according to city authorities.