D.C. health officials say they have been unsuccessful in trying to connect with the White House to assist with contact tracing regarding the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak that has infected President Trump and several senior staff members.
A member of the cleaning staff sprays The James Brady Briefing Room of the White House, on Oct. 5, 2020, in Washington.WASHINGTON — Officials with the Washington, D.C., Department of Health have been unsuccessful in trying to connect with the White House to assist with contact tracing and other protocols regarding thethat has infected President Donald Trump and several senior staff members.
Bowser acknowledged on Monday that White House medical officials “have their hands full” at the moment. But a D.C. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment on the record, said White House doctors have not informed the D.C. Department of Health of any of the positive test results — a necessary step before contact tracing and quarantining can begin.
“There are established public health protocols at the White House that are federal in nature,” Bowser said. “We assume that those protocols have been engaged.” Dr. LaQuandra Nesbit, head of the D.C. Health Department, said the process must begin with an official notification from a medical professional.
The CDC has said repeatedly that it has a team ready to help the White House investigate how the outbreak unfolded. The White House so far has not asked for such assistance, but such an investigation could sort out who started the outbreak and whether the spread happened at the outdoor gathering or at related indoor events or both, several infectious disease experts said in a conference call with reporters.
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