WATCH: Somebody Sneezes Just As Reporter Grills Jen Psaki About All the ‘Maskless Hugging’ Going Down at White House

White House press eyebrows were raised when maskless hugging occurred at a Medal of Honor ceremony Friday, as several reporters grilled Psaki about the spectacle during the daily briefing, and one punctuated the questions with a perfectly-time shower of droplets.

After President Joe Biden presented the Medal of Honor to Korean War veteran Army Colonel Ralph Puckett, Jr. on Friday, he invited a crowd of maskless folks — including Puckett’s family, South Korea President Moon Jae-in, Vice President Kamala Harris, and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden (or “Jilly,” as the president called her) — to pose for photographs.

There were hugs, handshakes, and some laughing at close range from the president.

The scene drew the notice of Associated Press correspondent Darlene Superville, who asked Psaki about it shortly thereafter, and got her to admit that “we are a warm and fuzzy crew, and we like to hug around here.”:

Q Yesterday, we had a ceremony here — the bill signing — a large group of lawmakers —

MS. PSAKI: Yeah.

Q — came. We had the Medal of Honor ceremony —

MS. PSAKI: Yes.

Q — today —

MS. PSAKI: We’re back.

Q — the meeting with the Kennedy Center Honors that we were told the President and First Lady had. I’ve seen handshakes, hugging, kissing.

MS. PSAKI: Yes.

Q Is the White House open again? Can you talk about some of the considerations that went into these events over the past couple of days? And is this the norm — the new norm?

MS. PSAKI: Yes.

Q The new “new” norm going forward?

MS. PSAKI: I can confirm we are a warm and fuzzy crew, and we like to hug around here. But we were waiting for that to be allowed by CDC guidelines, which we certainly abide by.

So, we are — as many organizations and companies are — working to implement these guidelines here at the White House. And so what you’ve seen over the last coveral [sic] — couple of days is efforts to do exactly that, and that includes welcoming back and having a full briefing room very soon.

It includes having more events with more people and, certainly, continuing to open the White House up — the People’s House — up to the American public.

Later on in the briefing, another reporter followed up on Superville’s question, and right in the middle of her question, another reporter sneezed. But in a sign of the post-vaccine times, nobody missed a beat, the reporter offered a “God bless you,” and Psaki responded:

I can only speak to our experience here: It seems to be on the honor system if we’re vaccinated or not. So, now that the White House is having these events — maskless hugging today and yesterday and, I assume, you know, kind of, forthright from here — how is the White House tracking vaccinations beyond the folks who got vaccinated — (someone sneezes) — God bless you — on TV, like Pelosi? For the folks who we haven’t seen vaccinated on TV, how is the White House tracking who is vaccinated and who is not vaccinated?

MS. PSAKI: Well, again, what the guidance provided was information so people could take steps to protect themselves: either to get vaccinated — which every American is eligible who’s over the age of 12, at this point in time — or to mask up if they’re not yet vaccinated.

So, the steps we’re taking here — so that means every individual in the White House, members of the press corps, can do exactly that: either get vaccinated or wear a mask.

So, the honor system is really about — I don’t actually even like that term because I think it’s confusing. I’m not saying you’re intending to do that.

But the real question is: How will people who are not yet vaccinated protect themselves? Right? Because people who are vaccinated — what the CDC guidance is saying is that, “You’re protected.” So, people who are not vaccinated — the guidance is, “You should wear a mask.”

Q Okay. But the White House is not going to go out of its way to necessarily verify this individual — or, like, “I’ve been vaccinated or not, so she’s cleared to wear a mask.” That’s not the plan. That’s —

MS. PSAKI: That’s not the role we’re going to play.

Q Okay, awesome. Just wanted to clarify.

MS. PSAKI: Sure.

It’s an encouraging sign that White House reporters can now sneeze indoors while going maskless and slaking their unending fascination with White House mmask usage, and not have to worry about getting sick — at least with Covid.

Watch above via The White House.