The White House continued its streak of incrementally rolling back pandemic guidance on Monday, allowing 50% capacity in the press briefing room and dropping mask requirements for vaccinated individuals.

Since President Joe Biden appeared in the Rose Garden on May 13 to announce the relaxed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mask guidance for vaccine recipients, COVID-19 safety policy in and around Pennsylvania Avenue has been slowly moving toward a pre-pandemic lifestyle. NBC News’s White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell tweeted Monday that the press room now had 24 seats filled, meaning the press room now supports up to 50% capacity for reporters.

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