April 7, 2022
3 mins read

Officials, lawmakers test Covid positive after gala dinner

The positive test result came just hours after Garland spoke in person at a press conference alongside FBI Director Christopher Wray and other federal law enforcement officials….reports Asian Lite News

At least two senior US officials and two Congressmen have tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a white-tie dinner over the past weekend.

The US Department of Justice announced in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that Attorney General Merrick Garland tested positive for Covid-19 through antigen tests, Xinhua news agency reported.

Garland, fully vaccinated and boosted, asked to be tested after learning that he may have been exposed to the virus. At the time, he is not experiencing symptoms.

The statement also said the Attorney General will isolate at home for at least five days and will return to the office following a negative test for the coronavirus.

The positive test result came just hours after Garland spoke in person at a press conference alongside FBI Director Christopher Wray and other federal law enforcement officials.

The Attorney General reportedly went to the Gridiron Club and Foundation dinner on Saturday evening — typically one of the most high-profile annual Washington media events.

US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who also attended the event, is quarantined at home after experiencing mild symptoms and testing positive for Covid-19.

Congressmen Adam Schiff and Joaquin Castro — two other attendees — made public their infections on Tuesday.

The Gridiron dinner is said to have hosted more than 600 government officials, members of Congress, diplomats, and media figures at the four-star Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C.

The annual event, which has been held in various forms for more than a century, was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in the US has exceeded 80 million, with 980,000 related deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the Covid-19 pandemic “is not over” and warned against the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.2 — now the dominant strain of Covid-19 in the US.

“We know BA.2 is here,” Psaki said. “We know that it is more transmissible.”

She also reiterated that all White House employees who come in proximity to US President Joe Biden are regularly tested.

Biden, who signed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 into law at the State Dining Room on Wednesday afternoon, was last tested for Covid-19 on Monday and he tested negative, according to the White House.

Jamal Simmons, Communications Director for US Vice-President Kamala Harris, tested positive on Wednesday, according to a statement.

“Jamal was in close contact to the Vice-President as defined by CDC guidance,” the statement said.

“Jamal is isolating and working from home.”

The CDC, which stands for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, defines close contact as someone who is less than 6 feet (1.8 metres) away from an infected individual for more than 15 minutes.

“The Vice-President will follow CDC guidance for those that have been in close contact with a positive individual and will continue to consult with her physician,” the statement added.

“The Vice-President plans to continue with her public schedule.”

Anthony Fauci, a top US infectious disease expert, said on Wednesday that he expects the BA.2 subvariant to fuel an increase in Covid-19 cases across the US.

“I would not be surprised if we see an uptick in cases,” Fauci, also the longtime director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the White House Medical Adviser, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television.

The best way to avoid it, he recommended, “is to get more people vaccinated,” adding that “if you’re vaccinated, make sure you get boosted when your time comes.”

ALSO READ: Biden’s breather for student loans fuels inflation concerns

Previous Story

Opposition app restored in Russia following backlash

Next Story

Art in real-time and real space

Latest from USA

Diaspora Leaders Urge Pragmatic India-US Ties

Keshap spoke about the recent H-1B visa crackdown from the Trump administration, calling it a decision “driven by domestic politics.”…reports Asian Lite News Prominent Indian American leaders have called for deeper India-US

Sergio Gor Named US Ambassador to India

Trump had announced that Gor would also serve as a special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs….reports Asian Lite News Sergio Gor, nominated by former President Donald Trump as the next

Jaishankar Hints at Tariff Deal with US

Jaishankar explained that the ongoing trade tensions largely stem from the inability of both sides to reach a common ground on several issues….reports Asian Lite News External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on

California Takes Trump to Court

Trump claimed that the deployment of federalized troops was necessary because the city of Portland was under siege…reports Asian Lite News California Governor Gavin Newsom said the state will sue the Trump

Multi-alignment, upgraded

With US ties strained and China tense, New Delhi taps Europe’s harder edge for co-development, clean tech and strategic autonomy, writes Manoj Menon India is recalibrating its great-power hedging as frictions with
Go toTop

Don't Miss

US weighs joining fight with Israel

Europe’s push for diplomacy is in sharp contrast to messages

Kin of teen girl killed in Burlington sues LAPD, officer

The incident happened on December 23, 2021, when Valentina Orellana