Political strategists argue that President Biden is missing a chance to celebrate his success in handling the COVID-19 pandemic by pushing for further restrictions and mandates, which invite attacks from Republicans and accusations of hypocrisy.
The CDC is maintaining its guidelines for all teachers, students, and staff in K-12 schools to mask indoors, regardless of vaccination status. The agency is still discussing updates to address measures like mask-wearing in high transmission areas.
Political strategists believe that Biden is missing a chance to celebrate the country's progress on vaccines, which could be used to counter Republican attacks that the party is overly restrictive and hypocritical. However, some in the White House are cautious of declaring victory too soon due to the uncertainty of the pandemic.