---
title: "Masks Still Aren’t Required on White House Grounds, Official Says"
description: "U.S. President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Still, the White House says it will not require people to wear masks."
date: "2020-10-02"
modified: "2020-10-02"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/white-house-still-wont-require-masks"
categories:
  - "Developments"
  - "Health & Medicine"
tags:
  - "coronavirus"
  - "covid19"
  - "masks"
  - "medicine"
  - "trump"
---

# Masks Still Aren’t Required on White House Grounds, Official Says

![U.S. President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Still, the White House says it will not require people to wear masks.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/white-house-still-wont-require-masks.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

The same day that the President of the United States [announced that he's sick](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/trump-exposed-people-covid>) with COVID-19, the White House says face masks are still merely "recommended" on White House grounds.

A White House official [told *Axios* that](<https://www.axios.com/white-house-no-mask-mandate-bc0bee01-ac07-4276-9f25-c5970491a16d.html>) even Trump's recently-announced illness won't prompt staff to mandate the use of protective face masks on the grounds. Instead, it sounds like business as usual. Whether it's because of Trump's [well-documented disdain for masks](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/president-donald-trump-has-been-diagnosed-with-covid>) or something equally incomprehensible, the protective face masks that are great for stopping passers-by from transmitting a deadly virus to one another will remain optional.

"Our standard protocol is CDC best practices and recommendations," the official told *Axios*. "Facial coverings are recommended but not required. There's hand sanitizing stations located throughout the complex, frequent washing of hands and good hygiene is strongly recommended and social distancing is encouraged. So, I don't foresee those things changing."

The official added that the White House also implements randomized testing. But Trump and his circle's [open mockery](<https://apnews.com/article/7d093d8fefee24b97f449f83d405c9dd>) of masks raises questions about how seriously any of these measures are actually taken.

Just to be clear: [masks are at least moderately effective](<https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent>) at stopping the coronavirus from spreading, and should be worn — properly — around others as much as possible while the pandemic continues.

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)