Public tours of the White House will resume next month after two years of being paused due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Those who wish to visit the White House will be able to do so starting on April 15, according to a press release issued by the Biden administration on Tuesday. Tours will “initially be available” only on Fridays and Saturdays during select hours after years of being placed on hold.
“The White House will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation with guidance based on recommendations from the CDC, and other public health officials and medical experts,” the White House said in the press release, adding that tour “availability” would be adjusted depending on current health guidance.
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The tours of the White House are free of charge and available on a first-come, first-served basis, the press release said. People were instructed to schedule tours of the building “through a Member of Congress and their Congressional Tour Coordinator.”
“Within the 10 days prior to the public tour, anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, has had any COVID-19 symptoms, or been in close contact with someone confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19, should stay home,” the press release said.
The White House revealed on March 11, 2020, under the Trump administration, that due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases throughout the United States, public tours of the building would be canceled.
“In an abundance of caution, all White House tours have been temporarily suspended, effective immediately,” the voicemail on the information line for the White House said at the time. “We truly appreciate your understanding.”
NEW: Biden administration announces its White House public tour schedule:
Starting April 15, 2022, Public tours will initially be available from 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, excluding Federal holidays or unless otherwise noted. pic.twitter.com/WLSiiHhFkP
— Chris Cioffi (@ReporterCioffi) March 15, 2022
Prior to President Joe Biden‘s State of the Union address, Congress lifted the mandate requiring members to wear facial coverings on the House floor.
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The announcement from the White House comes as the U.S. is seeing a drop in COVID-19 cases throughout the nation. To date, there has been a 47% decrease in coronavirus cases over the past 14 days and a 32% decrease in coronavirus-related deaths within the past 14 days, according to the New York Times Coronavirus Map and Tracker.
As of Tuesday, the U.S. has experienced a total of 79,473,611 coronavirus cases and 963,926 deaths, according to the tracker.
