Return of the masks: face coverings are back in the Capitol and White House

Required mask wearing is back in the U.S Capitol. Late Tuesday evening, Brian Monahan, the attending physician of the U.S. Congress told members that "for meetings in an enclosed U.S. House of Representatives-controlled space, masks are REQUIRED."

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy fired back, "Make no mistake – The threat of bringing masks back is not a decision based on science, but a decision conjured up by liberal government officials who want to continue to live in a perpetual pandemic state."

The announcement came just hours after the CDC once again backtracked on a previously issued recommendation, now saying that even fully vaccinated individuals should wear masks in inside areas where there exists "substantial" or "high" spread of the virus. The rules become further muddled when you factor in unvaccinated children and the immunocompromised. 

The White House has announced that staffers are again required to wear masks inside the building, and the White House Correspondents' Association followed suit, now requiring reporters to mask up again in the briefing room. 

President Biden will deliver an address Thursday about vaccines and masks. He is expected to announce a vaccine mandate for all federal workers and contractors, with a likely opt-out exception for those who submit to regular virus testing.