Two Biden Cabinet members among string of positive Covid-19 cases after elite Gridiron dinner
By Paul LeBlanc, Jasmine Wright and Sam Fossum, CNN
Updated 10:51 AM ET, Thu April 7, 2022
Attorney General Merrick Garland, left, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
(CNN)Two members of President Joe Biden's Cabinet tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, becoming the latest high-profile Washington figures to contract the virus in recent days.
Attorney General Merrick Garland and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced their positive diagnoses after having attended the elite Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington on Saturday. Other attendees, including Vice President Kamala Harris' communication director Jamal Simmons and Democratic Reps. Joaquin Castro and Adam Schiff and President Joe Biden's sister, Valerie Biden Owens, have also announced positive tests.
The string of positive cases has turned attention in Washington to the Gridiron dinner, an event that brings together some of the city's most prominent journalists, including from CNN, and the government officials they cover. Attendees had their vaccination status checked, but negative Covid-19 tests were not required to enter.
Tom DeFrank, the president of the Gridiron Club, said 14 guests at Saturday's dinner have tested positive and that other cases could be expected.
"As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, we know of 14 guests at Saturday's dinner who have tested positive for Covid. There is no way of being certain about when they first contracted Covid," DeFrank said.
"But they did interact with other guests during the night and we have to be realistic and expect some more cases," he continued. "Except in cases of public officials who have on their own disclosed their status, we will protect the privacy of guests who test positive."
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https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/06/politics/merrick-garland-covid-19/index.html
