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More than 2,000 journalists, celebrities and politicians, including President Biden, will head to the White House Correspondents Association dinner this weekend in what appears to be a major test of whether large gatherings can be held safely at this stage. from a pandemic.
Organizers say they are committed to holding an event that significantly reduces the risk of coronavirus infections, citing requirements for vaccines and tests that have been stepped up after a dinner hosted by the Gridiron Club in Washington this month involved at least 80 infections. who made cabinet members, reporters and other guests ill.
However, some White House officials and experts are worried that these measures are insufficient and that this weekend’s events could turn into another high-profile super-dissemination event, said three administration officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not were authorized to discuss the matter. Behind the scenes, a prominent coronavirus expert is refusing organizers who are reluctant to install devices that disinfect the air with ultraviolet light, with party organizers worried that the devices will interfere with the program.
Don Milton, an environmental scientist at the University of Maryland who has advised the White House and others on airborne transmission, said his proposal was for the company to install the devices. it was rejected free of charge by both the Correspondents’ Association and the Washington Hilton, which hosts the event. “I called on a team of scientists and bactericidal UV lighting companies to provide a free temporary installation as a demonstration project to help protect the White House correspondents’ dinner,” Milton said. “Unfortunately it didn’t work out.”
In an interview with Steve Portnoy, a CBS News reporter who serves as president of the WHCA, said the association had introduced safety protocols and Milton’s proposal came too late.
“We are interested in learning more about this technology,” Portnoy said. “We simply are not able, in less than a week, to better understand the benefits or potential risks of what appears to be experimental technology.”
Correspondents’ dinner arrives after weeks of debate over whether such events are still too risky, such as rapidly spreading omicron subvariants such as BA. 2, go around the globe – or if the risk of coronavirus is just another threat to normal life in 2022, given the growing number of treatments to prevent the virus from progressing to severe disease in most people.
The outbreak of Gridiron Club “shows what life is like with covid-19”, wrote this month Liana C. Wen, a contributor to the Washington Post, saying that cases are inevitable and welcomed the return of this party. “Almost all of us will be infected with covid-19. Let’s prepare for that when we do, and in the meantime continue to live our lives. “
But at least some people choose to worship. Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, has canceled plans to attend the dinner, citing personal risks, CNN reported for the first time late Tuesday night. In an interview Wednesday, the 81-year-old doctor said it was his “personal choice” not to attend the event, although he said the United States was going through a “complete pandemic” phase.
As of Wednesday, the White House said 79-year-old Biden planned to attend the dinner to show his support for the press.
Many coronavirus experts say new infections related to dinner and accompanying parties are inevitable, noting that local cases have increased, key officials such as Vice President Harris tested positive for coronavirus this week, and the large number of attendees means some infected people will unknowingly sneak through the protections. The Correspondents Association says it has sold 2,600 tickets for Saturday dinner.
“I think it’s important for us to go back to some of these activities – and do it in a way that recognizes the virus and the risks involved,” said Lincy Marr, a Virginia Tech engineer who also advised White. . Home of coronavirus strategy. Marr instructed the WHCA to add a requirement that attendees must present evidence of a negative test on Saturday, but urged the association to go further to address the transmission of the virus by air.
“I hope they are doing something to improve the ventilation and filtration in the restaurant,” she said, noting that some guests, such as Biden, face increased risks due to their age and other factors. “There is a negligible risk that he will become infected.”
The WHCA dinner has been a spring rite in Washington since 1921, albeit intermittently, most notably the cancellation of dinner over the past two years due to the pandemic.
Despite their name, journalists are a minority of the guests in the black tie affair. Participants typically include people invited by media organizations, including advertisers, business managers, military officers, high-ranking government officials, and friends of well-connected people. While former President Donald Trump did not boycott the event, Hollywood celebrities and big sports figures were often present, adding a little sparkle to what is self-deprecatingly called “maniac balls.”
This year’s event is a return to form, with Biden and a host of media and political leaders in attendance, with comedian Trevor Noah performing after dinner. But dinner this weekend has a new wrinkle, as guests are considering the risks of a mass gathering. Some people infected with the coronavirus after the Gridiron Club dinner on April 2 had mild cases that quickly subsided, but others survived symptoms that last for days or weeks.
Although dinner will take place in the Washington Hilton Cave Ballroom, many attendees are expected to mingle in narrower spaces throughout the hotel and attend multiple pre- and post-party parties in cramped spaces, facilitating the potential spread of the virus.
Washington Hilton did not answer specific questions about its current protections against coronavirus.
“The safety and security of our guests and team members remain our highest priority and the Washington Hilton remains committed to our commitment to providing a safe, welcoming environment for all who visit our property,” a spokesman said in a statement, noting the safety of the event. held at the hotel during the pandemic and asking questions about Saturday dinner to the Correspondents Association.
White House officials also questioned the safety of the correspondents’ association, even as senior officials tried to plan a return to normalcy after two years of viruses.
“We are at a time in this pandemic, where I think we can get together safely,” Ashish Ja, coroner of the White House coronavirus, told Fox News Sunday last week, noting how vaccines, tests and air filtration can to reduce the risks associated with the virus. “I do not think the events are like that [the correspondents’ dinner] must be repealed. “
Portnoy, president of the WHCA, stressed that the association has taken many steps to ensure a safe evening.
“We require everyone at the dinner to take a coronavirus test on Saturday, April 30, and show [the negative result] let him in, ‘said Portnoy. Those present also need to be vaccinated, he said.
But Milton, an expert at the University of Maryland, called on organizers to install more devices that actively clean the air for those present.
“When you bring so many people together, you really need to have highly efficient air sewer systems. Ventilation and filtration alone are not enough, “said Milton.
After dozens of coronavirus infections were linked to dinner at the Gridiron Club three weeks ago, Milton said, he contacted the correspondents’ association and arranged a conversation with a provider, Far UV, who would temporarily set up more than 100 devices in the Washington Hilton. They work by disinfecting the air and range from small devices that look like smoke detectors to portable lamps that can be placed around a room. Milton said he has no financial relationship with Far UV or another company that develops ultraviolet light devices.
But WHCA officials said talks with Milton and Far UV came too late in their planning and that they feared the lights could irritate the eyes of those present, disrupt servers trying to move around the ballroom – and even to make someone like Biden look blue when he turns. the crowd.
In an interview, Milton said the technology was proven, noting that the White House last month advertised the benefits of UV disinfectant light to fight the coronavirus.
“We have really good data from many decades ago,” Milton said, adding that he had been trying to convince the reporters’ association of the value of the devices for weeks, although the group continued to reject offers. “The motives are not clear to me,” he said.
PJ Piper, president of Far UV, dismissed questions about his company’s talks with the Correspondents Association, but said school districts, the Department of Defense and other organizations had installed the devices. “Having an extra layer of protection, which can be 10 times more than the equivalent hourly air change that your HVAC can give you, is a big deal. Because if the virus isn’t in the air, you can’t catch it, “Piper said.
Other experts said the WHCA’s fears about the technology were unfounded.
If installed correctly, UV disinfectant lights can be used safely. They do not penetrate the skin. They do not cause eye damage. They don’t affect photography, “said David Michaels, a professor at George Washington University who heads the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and highlights the potential of the technology, along with …
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