According to several officials familiar with protocols, officials who come into close contact with Mr. Biden regularly are tested more often. Mr. Biden holds socially distant meetings with aides when possible, and people who meet with him in the White House are tested. But that does not apply to what Ms. Psaki said are “public” events, where Mr. Biden can mingle with invitees in group settings.
One of those occurred on Tuesday, when Mr. Biden welcomed former President Barack Obama to a crowded East Room, where the two men delivered speeches about the longevity of the Affordable Care Act and circulated among supporters. Ms. Psaki said attendees had not been tested for the coronavirus…
This week, Representatives Joaquin Castro of Texas and Adam B. Schiff of California, both Democrats, said they had tested positive after attending the Gridiron. Other Democrats who did not attend the dinner have announced positive tests, including Representative Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts, the assistant House speaker, and Representative Scott Peters of California.
Aside from the Gridiron, journalists and administration officials who attended a number of other parties and events have reported that they had contracted the virus. A going-away party for Emily Horne, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, last week turned back several positive cases among attendees, including journalists.
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