Testing urged after outbreak at White House
State health departments cite limited contact tracing
Local health departments in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia are warning residents about the growing number of coronavirus cases tied to the White House, saying the scope of the outbreak is still unknowndue to limited contact tracing.
In a joint health advisory issuedThursday, the officials urged anyone who has worked at the White House in the past two weeks, attended Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court announcement in the Rose Garden or has been in contact with anyone who did to get tested forCOVID-19.
Their request comes after a surge of people in President Donald Trump’s orbit have tested positive for the coronavirus, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, top adviser Stephen Miller, first lady Melania Trump and the president himself.
“Given the growing numbers of positive COVID cases reported fromstaffworking in and near the White House, people who attended the event hosted by the White House on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, and our preliminary understanding that there has been limited contact tracing performed to date, there may be other staff and residents at risk for exposure to COVID positive individuals,” the advisory read.
Although the White House has said contact tracing is underway, media reports indicate the administration has made little effort to investigate the extent of the Rose Garden’s outbreak.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence, Pence defended the Rose Garden event, saying that it was held outside and that many who attended were tested for COVID-19 before arriving.
However, masks at the event were few and far between, and attendees sat wedged up against each other with no social distancing.
Thursday’s letter — which was signed by officers from Prince George’s, Montgomery, Frederick andCharles counties inMaryland, as well as jurisdictions in D.C. and Northern Virginia — asked those who have been identified as a “contact” to quarantine for 14 days from their date of exposure, regardless of whether they test positive.
“We strongly encourage everyone to continue following these practices to stay well, including wearing face coverings, physically distancing at a minimum of six feet between you and others, practicing handwashing and other sanitizing practices,” the letter read.
Trump was treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, a Democrat, called Trump out on Twitter on Saturday after the president left the hospital towave to his supporters froma motorcade, flouting public health recommendations in the process.
“We take COVID-19 seriously in@ Montgomery Co MD ,” El rich wrote .“We ask our residents to act responsibly with family & friends and we expect the same from our guests.”