More Republican Party officials and their guests who attended the September 26 "superspreader" event at the White House are expected to admit to being COVID-19 positive in the next few days after two more GOP big shots confirmed their infections.
Anywhere from 100 to 150 persons, most of them from the Republican Party, attended the event at the White House Rose Garden called by president Donald Trump to introduce his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.
Most of these people did not wear face masks, as can be seen in videos and photos of the event. Trump and hardcore Republicans say mask wearing is a sign of weakness. Democrats, on the other hand, are avid mask wearers.
A senior administration official said the wave of COVID-19 cases among top Republican officials likely began at Trump's Rose Garden event. He told CNN it "seems highly likely this (outbreak) originated at the SCOTUS announcement last week. It may have come from the Hill. The next major concern will be securing Capitol Hill and protecting lawmakers."
Nine people, including Trump himself, are now confirmed as being COVID-19 positive after attending the event. On Saturday came the news Trump's re-election campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, are sick with COVID-19.
The other six are Melania Trump, Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the Trump Hope Hicks and Fr. John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame university.
All of these people were seen in videos and in photos not wearing face masks. Fr. Jenkins, the only non-Republican Party member among the infected, later apologized for not wearing a face mask.
Christie confined himself to hospital and tweeted: "I just received word that I am positive for COVID-19. I want to thank all of my friends and colleagues who have reached out to ask how I was feeling in the last day or two. I will be receiving medical attention today and will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition."
Doctors interviewed by the media affirm the Rose Garden event wasn't the only source of infections. Pre- and post-event gatherings where unmasked guests chatted face-to-face, shook hands, exchanged hugs and kisses were the likely causes of this wave of new infections.
Some doctors said the White House should now be considered a COVID-19 hotspot cluster. COVID-19 symptoms begin to manifest two to five days after exposure to the coronavirus. Infected persons are contagious to other persons at this time.
Trump is now in his second day as a COVID-19 patient at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after being flown by helicopter to this hospital in neighboring Maryland from the White House on Friday afternoon.
Trump's superspreader event brought together top White House officials and allies, Trump Cabinet members, Republican lawmakers and friends. Barrett's nomination as Supreme Court Justice took place outdoors, but Barrett and others also gathered inside the White House.
