White House's inept "contact tracing" effort leaves the work to others

The White House insisted a “full contact tracing, consistent with CDC guidelines” had been conducted following Trump’s New Jersey fundraiser on Thursday, and that similar efforts were taking place for other events. But some of the most high-profile contacts say they have gotten little or no outreach from the White House since coming into proximity with the first couple or their inner circle in the days since the diagnoses.

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As a result, the individuals themselves are muddling through on their own. After spending multiple days in close proximity to the President while preparing for last week’s debate, Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani said he has been running a do-it-yourself operation, quarantining himself, arranging for a coronavirus test (it was negative), and alerting those who he has come in contact with — all decisions he made without guidance from the White House. Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor, was also part of the President’s debate prep. On Friday, he tested positive and has been hospitalized. Christie told CNN that he has similarly had no formal directions from the President’s team to assist in contact tracing.

Meanwhile, two White House officials said they had been reached by the White House Medical Unit to alert them of potential exposure, but that they were not asked to trace their own contacts.

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