Pentagon lifts mask requirements

The Pentagon on Wednesday lifted its mask requirement for inside the building following new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

“Effective immediately … masks are no longer required indoors at the Pentagon,” according to a Defense Department statement. “Individuals may wear a mask if they choose.” 

In addition, the Pentagon — where roughly 20,000 military and civilian employees work — lowered its health protection level in the building to “Bravo,” allowing up to 50 percent occupancy in the building as well as “more options for seating in the food court.”  

The Pentagon’s announcement follows similar moves from the White House and Congress earlier this week, with lawmakers mostly going maskless when attending President Biden’s first State of the Union address at the Capitol on Tuesday night.

Starting Tuesday, the House made mask wearing optional throughout the Capitol complex, regardless of vaccination status, while the White House ended its mask requirement for fully-vaccinated employees.

Those decisions come after the CDC last Friday eased its mask recommendation for most Americans, advising that people living in communities with “low” or “medium” COVID-19 levels do not need to wear face coverings.   

The Washington, D.C., area is at the “green level,” according to CDC metrics, meaning that COVID-19 transmission is low.