COVID restrictions for Biden's State of the Union will be strict

The State of the Union address on March 1 will feature strict coronavirus measures imposed by President Biden.

Congressional members who are planning to attend the speech will be required to follow the rules that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweeted Thursday. Masks must be worn, as well as social distancing, proof that COVID PCR tests are negative.

According to the rules, "for the State of the Union in 2022, a negative PCR test will be required a day in advance of the event, the wearing of high-quality, properly fitted, filtration masks (KN95 or N95) at all times, and social distancing should be utilized."

Attendees were encouraged to get a coronavirus booster two weeks before the event.

The rules are not aligned with local and state requirements. Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently moved to lift the city’s indoor vaccine mandate and announced plans to lift its mask mandate on March 1, the same day as the State of the Union which will be held in Washington.

State policies related to COVID that have existed for the longest are now being dropped by many of the longest-running states across the country. New York, Connecticut, and Delaware, all three Democratic-controlled states, have recently backed down on their mandates for indoor masks.

18 Feb 2022