Joe Biden flouts COVID guidelines, laughs off wearing masks despite exposure to virus| Oneindia News

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President Biden remained maskless Tuesday in front of an 81-year-old vet while awarding him the Medal of Honor — flouting COVID-19 rules that the White House had just said Biden would follow. Biden joked about not wearing a mask Wednesday following this week's positive COVID-19 test of his wife, first lady Jill Biden, sending mixed signals as White House officials insist the president is following CDC guidelines.    #JoeBiden #JillBidenCovidPositive #JoeBidenCovidGuidelines #JoeBidenFloutsCovidGuidelines #JoeBidenMask #CDC #WhiteHouse                     ~HT.97~PR.152~ED.101~

Transcript

00:00 But they keep telling me because this has to be 10 days or something,

00:03 I got to keep wearing it.

00:04 But don't tell them I didn't have it on when I walked in.

00:07 Biden joked about not wearing a mask Wednesday, following this week's

00:12 positive COVID-19 test of his wife, first lady Jill Biden,

00:16 sending mixed signals as White House officials insist

00:20 the president is following CDC guidelines.

00:22 I've been tested again today.

00:25 I am clear across the board, but they keep telling me

00:27 because this has to be 10 days or something.

00:29 I got to keep wearing it, Biden said in his opening remarks

00:33 on a dock workers deal to a small audience.

00:35 But don't tell them I did not have it on when I walked in.

00:38 All right. He added with a grin.

00:40 Hours earlier, his aides had said the US president would obey

00:44 US masking guidelines following his wife's positive diagnosis,

00:47 including wearing one around others.

00:49 However, it wasn't the first instance in the week

00:52 that Biden had broken his government's guidelines.

00:55 Earlier, President Biden remained maskless Tuesday

00:58 in front of an 81-year-old vet while awarding him the Medal of Honor,

01:02 flouting COVID-19 rules that the White House had just said Biden would follow.

01:07 Biden removed his black KN-95 style mask during a prayer at the ceremony

01:12 for retired Army Captain Larry Taylor in the White House East Room

01:16 ahead of the president's remarks from a lectern

01:18 recounting the elderly honoree's heroism in the Vietnam War.

01:22 Both men are considered to be at an elevated risk for the virus

01:26 because of their age.

01:27 After giving his speech, Biden failed to put the mask back on

01:30 as he approached Taylor and stood roughly six inches from him

01:34 for about four minutes as a citation for Taylor's award was read aloud.

01:38 The unmasked president then fastened the medal around Taylor's neck

01:42 before shaking his hand and abruptly leaving the room before the closing prayer.

01:46 As Biden left, the unmasked president gave a thumbs up

01:49 when asked about his wife's health.

01:51 Explaining the abrupt departure of the president, White House

01:55 press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre offered a rather lousy excuse,

02:00 saying it was to minimize COVID-19 exposure.

02:03 He left when there was a pause in the program in order to minimize

02:06 his close contact with attendees who are about to participate in a reception,

02:09 Jean-Pierre said.

02:11 Despite the controversy, Biden will be traveling to the Indian capital city

02:14 of New Delhi for the G20 summit after testing negative for COVID,

02:18 the White House confirmed.

02:19 On Tuesday, the president will travel to New Delhi to attend the G20 Leaders Summit.

02:22 On Friday, President Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting

02:25 with Prime Minister Modi, and on Saturday and Sunday,

02:27 he will participate in the official sessions of the G20 summit.

02:30 U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters

02:34 at the White House news conference.

02:36 [music]

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