The Hill
The White House Correspondents Association (WCHA) on Sunday announced it would temporarily reduce capacity for journalists attending press briefings, citing concerns about a spike in COVID-19 cases as the omicron variant surges nationwide.
The board of the WHCA voted unanimously to return to the reduced seating arrangement that was in place from last summer until earlier this year, with 14 seats out of the 49 in the room being used, association president Steve Portnoy announced in an email to the organization's members.
"Given the virulence of the spread, medical experts have once again advised that it would be prudent to substantially reduce the number of people working in the cramped, poorly ventilated workspace that we share," Portnoy said.
The WHCA intends to revisit the seating arrangement later in the month, depending on case rates.
