Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As DC's Covid Outbreak Grows, Concerns Rise For Biden
The Washington Post: President Joe Biden's Pandemic Practices Vary As Covid Risks Grow
Most of the time, President Biden doesn’t wear a mask, but occasionally he’s spotted with one. Sometimes his events are in crowded indoor rooms, other times outdoors. And through it all over the past two weeks, people close to Biden — if not in “close contact” as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — are contracting covid as part of a wave washing over parts of official Washington. (Linskey and Diamond, 4/8)
CNN: Washington Covid-19 Outbreak: New Variants Flout Old 'Close Contact' Rule
Health experts say the outbreak may be rooted, in part, in outdated and confusing guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that help people assess their risk of getting the virus that causes Covid-19 or passing it on to others. (Goodman, 4/8)
Politico: Fauci: No Particular Reason To Fear For Biden's Health
Anthony Fauci said Sunday there’s no particular reason to fear that President Joe Biden will be infected with Covid-19, despite how hard official Washington has been hit lately. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” the president’s chief medical adviser said, “The protocols to protect the president are pretty strong.” While allowing that an infection was certainly possible, Fauci added: “The president is vaccinated. He is doubly boosted. He got his fourth shot of an mRNA. When we people like myself and my colleagues are in the room closely with him for a considerable period of time — half an hour, 20 minutes, 40 minutes — all of us need to be tested. Yes, he is mingling there, but we feel that the protocols around the president are sufficient to protect him.” (Cohen, 4/10)
In related news about the covid outbreak in Washington, D.C. —
NBC News: 72 People At High-Profile D.C. Dinner Test Positive For Covid
Seventy-two people have tested positive for Covid-19 after having attended the Gridiron Dinner in Washington last weekend, including members of the Biden administration and reporters. Gridiron Club President Tom DeFrank said Sunday that the group had reported 72 cases out of the hundreds of people who attended. New York Mayor Eric Adams, who was also at the dinner, tested positive Sunday. It was the first Gridiron Dinner since 2019, before the pandemic, and guests were required to show proof of vaccination, DeFrank said. (Zhao and Roecker, 4/10)
The Hill: Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Tests Positive For COVID-19
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Saturday that he had tested positive for COVID-19, along with dozens of others who attended the annual Gridiron Club dinner last week. “I tested positive for COVID,” Vilsack tweeted. “I’m both vaccinated and boosted and thankfully my symptoms are mild. If you have yet to get vaccinated and boosted, please don’t wait.” (Folmar, 4/9)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Raphael Warnock Tests Positive For COVID-19 After SCOTUS Vote
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock learned that he had tested positive for the coronavirus shortly after participating in the historic confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. In a statement posted on social media, Warnock said he learned of the result in the late afternoon on Thursday after a routine test. “I’m so thankful to be both vaccinated & boosted, and at the advice of the Attending Physician I plan to isolate,” he said. “If you haven’t gotten your shot yet, I encourage you to do so.” (Mitchell, 4/8)
