The House was initially scheduled to return Monday, May 4, along with the Senate. But Pelosi and her top lieutenants reversed course earlier this week after bipartisan backlash, delaying the chamber’s return after the Capitol doctor warned them it wouldn’t be safe.

The number of coronavirus cases in the Washington area continues to climb, with local officials predicting the region has yet to reach its peak and D.C. remaining under a stay-at-home order until at least May 15. In addition, House leaders had yet to develop robust guidance for how to resume full operations with hundreds of members and thousands of staffers and support staff in the Capitol complex.