President Joe Biden was seen maskless at the Imperfecto restaurant in Washington DC Friday night despite admitting he had a cold during a coughing fit earlier that day.
Biden had sparked health concerns Friday afternoon when he gave a news conference speaking with a hoarse voice and coughing his way through the speech.
Although photos show him walking out of the restaurant without a mask, a BBC correspondent said a colleague claimed he saw Biden inside the restaurant not wearing one.
The BBC's Tara McKelvey tweeted, 'I was with the press pool, and we waited outside Imperfecto restaurant for him. My colleague says he saw him inside the restaurant through a window, and the president was not wearing a mask. Outside, in front of the cameras, he wore one.'
Washington had lifted its indoor mask mandate last week, but the White House has said indoor masking regulations should return amid the rise of the COVID Omicron variant in the US.
Joe Biden was spotted at the Imperfecto restaurants in Washington DC Friday night
It comes after the presidents admitted he was sick in a cough-riddled speech earlier
The president plans to make all his appearances this weekend despite the illness
A BBC correspondent claimed Biden was not wearing a mask after he entered Imperfecto
Washington DC lifted its indoor mask mandate last week, but the White House has said indoor masking regulations should return amid the rise of the COVID Omicron variant in the US
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has insisted that the president is following proper COVID-19 protocols and will be forging ahead with all public appearances, which includes an outing to the 44th Annual Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements on Sunday.
She said Biden was tested for COVID more often than usual this week - three times - because of his cold symptoms.
'He's taken over the counter cold medication and probably some cough drops and some tea,' Psaki said.
Kevin O'Conner, Biden's doctor, said in a statement about the president's health, 'As is readily apparent, the president is experiencing some increased nasal congestion this week. This can be heard in his voice and he is feeling the colloquially well-known 'frog in one's throat.''
'Investigation has included a comprehensive respiratory panel which includes 19 common respiratory pathogens, to include COVID-19, other coronaviruses, influenza, streptococcus, to name a few... all of these tests were negative.'
When asked about his cold, Biden said, 'What I have is a one and a half year old grandson who likes to kiss his pop,' referencing the fact that he might have gotten sick through his grandson, Beau Jr.
The White House said Biden was tested three times for COVID amid the coughing
Despite Psaki's claim that Biden follows all COVID-19 policy's, the president was seen shopping in Nantucket on Saturday without a mask
Last weekend Biden was also caught disobeying and indoor mask mandate as he did some shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend.
The president, who had been staying in Nantucket with his family, was spotted inside Murray's Toggery Shop with his mask around his neck and not covering his mouth. A large 'Face Covering Required' sign could be seen on the front door of the shop.
The island brought back its indoor mask mandates earlier this month at a town meeting on November 18. They made the decision to return to indoor masking because scientists found a prevalence of the virus in island sewage.
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