Club to require masks under D.C. government order. Here's what it means.

The National Press Club will comply with District Mayor Muriel Bowser’s order on mask-wearing indoors beginning Saturday, July 31.

The rule change follows new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and the District’s rising COVID-19 rates that now are in the substantial range. While this is a major inconvenience to members who were just getting used to being unmasked indoors, it is a direct result of the delta variant, which is not behaving like the other variants or the original COVID-19 virus.

Here are some questions and answers with Club President Lisa Nicole Matthews about these latest developments.

What does the mayor’s rule mean for Club members?

It means that until further notice, all members and guests must wear masks when visiting the Club. I know this will be inconvenient for many, including myself, but it is a necessary precaution for the safety of members, guests, and staff. Specifically, we must put our masks on properly before entering the building and leave it on while riding the elevator and wear it while at the Club unless we are actively involved in eating or drinking. It means that at the bar people should have masks on and take it down to take a drink. It means that members who are working or watching TV or talking to each other should be wearing a mask. This change may be temporary as the decision was made based on a change in data. That data can change again. The best way to get the data to change is for the whole city to comply. The rule is for everyone over the age of 2 years old.

Were you surprised by this change?

No. Working in news every day at The Associated Press, I have been tracking the changes and discussing them regularly with Club Executive Director Bill McCarren. I could see what was happening with India and most recently Los Angeles County, Las Vegas, New Orleans and St. Louis. As Dr. Fauci said, the science hasn’t changed but the virus has. Once the CDC laid out their recommendations, I expected Mayor Bowser to issue new rules. The Washington, D.C., caseload moved to substantial from moderate within a 24 hour-period. I have posted a tweet on the official president’s Twitter page with a link to the CDC map.  All we can do is hope it does not last long.

Does this mean we have to do social distancing?

Social distancing has never been a bad consideration under COVID-19, I still try to practice it where possible. But the mayor’s order comes with no restrictions for social distancing, so we can have enough people at the bar or events – they just all must wear masks and be vaccinated or have a recent negative COVID-19 test.

Does the mask mandate mean we no longer have to worry about vaccination cards or showing a recent negative COVID tests?

Vaccinations are more important than ever. If you have not gotten one, I urge you to go out and get one. And now that President Biden has announced a $100 incentive – I personally want a do-over. I’m not a doctor but I would say that we should all probably be getting tested at least once or twice a month now and until we are out of this current spike. The Club is going to focus on masks for entry right now, but we still want you to send us your vaccination card and if you are not vaccinated, we will want to see the negative COVID-19 test in addition to your mask.

How does this new order affect the staff?

Well if you noticed, staff members have never stopped wearing masks. They are all vaccinated but they have been wearing masks straight through. That is true of most businesses. Our staff members understand the importance of safety and the impression we want to leave on members and guests. Trust me, this will help the Club with new business opportunities too. It will mean that our staff will have a bigger job in terms of asking people to mask up. I thank you all in advance for helping them with this job which is really for your health.

What are the chances we will be wearing masks all year?

I don’t think that will happen. If we all do a good job of this for the next month or so, we should see a difference. There are lots of variables ahead like August when kids go back to school and September when many offices reopen. Flu season begins in October but we will be in a stronger position if we all mask for a month and more of us go out and get the vaccine. That is what will beat this virus. And I am really counting on all of you to do your best.

Do you think we can follow these new rules and have fun?

That is exactly what I intend to do. I hope you will join me.