Secretary of State Antony Blinken has tested positive for the coronavirus. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Wednesday Blinken would isolate at home according to CDC guidelines. Blinken met Wednesday with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde shortly before his positive test result. A day earlier, he met with Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard. On Saturday, he joined a crowd of 2,600 celebrities, journalists and Washington elites who packed the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, where few in attendance wore masks. “You guys spent the last two years telling everyone the importance of wearing masks and avoiding large indoor gatherings. Then, the second someone offers you a free dinner, you all turn into Joe Rogan,” said comedian Trevor Noah in his address at the event, which has since been linked to a growing number of COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization estimates the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the deaths of nearly 15 million people around the world.
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Secretary of State Antony Blinken has tested positive for coronavirus. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Wednesday Blinken will isolate at home according to CDC guidelines.
NED PRICE: The good news is that he is fully vaccinated, he is boosted. He is experiencing only mild symptoms.
AMY GOODMAN: Blinken met Wednesday with Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde shortly before his positive test result. A day earlier, he met with Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard. On Saturday , Secretary Blinken joined a crowd of 2,600 celebrities, journalists and Washington elites who packed the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., where few in attendance wore masks. The event has since been linked to a growing number of COVID cases, including journalists with Voice of America, NBC News, CBS News and Politico. Also testing positive was ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, who was seated next to the reality TV star Kim Kardashian. Karl also interacted briefly with President Biden, who attended without wearing a mask. The comedian Trevor Noah addressed the crowd, opening with these remarks.
TREVOR NOAH: It is my great honor to be speaking tonight at the nation’s most distinguished superspreader event. No, for real, people, what are we doing here? Let’s be honest. What are we doing? Like, did none of you learn anything from the Gridiron Dinner? Nothing, huh? Like, do any of you read your own newspapers? I mean, I expect this from Sean Hannity, but the rest of you? What are you doing here? You guys spent the last two years telling everyone the importance of wearing masks and avoiding large indoor gatherings. Then, the second someone offers you a free dinner, you all turn into Joe Rogan.
AMY GOODMAN: The World Health Organization estimates the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the deaths of nearly 15 million people around the world.
