Apr 6, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Mini-COVID wave hits D.C. elite

Axios

Photo of Gina Raimondo speaking while gesturing with her right hand — Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Photo: Drew Angerer via Getty Images

COVID cases may be dropping across the U.S., but the D.C. elite is facing a mini-surge of its own.

The big picture: Several White House officials and Congress members have tested positive in rapid succession in recent weeks.

Driving the news: Attorney General Merrick Garland and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, days after they attended the Gridiron Club dinner, a high-profile D.C. media event.

Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) also tested positive after attending the dinner on Saturday.
Though Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) was not present at the event, she announced Wednesday that she had contracted the virus as well.

Worth noting: Politico reports that some members of the press who attended the Gridiron Club dinner have also tested positive for COVID, raising fears that the white-tie event caused an outbreak and sparking concerns about the upcoming White House Correspondents Association gathering.

Other guests at the event included NIAID director Anthony Fauci, CDC director Rochelle Walensky and a slew of members of Congress, Cabinet secretaries and governors, per the Washington Post.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the attorney general's positive diagnosis.

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Mini-COVID wave hits D.C. elite

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