15/04/2022
As President Joe Biden sat at a signing desk in a crowded room at the White House on Wednesday, he was flanked by lawmakers who stood shoulder to shoulder to celebrate a rare bipartisan win: a new law that will modernize the US Postal Service.
Had it taken place at nearly any other time, the perfunctory event in Washington might have come and gone. But in the age of a pandemic, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's close proximity to the President during the signing -- just a day before she would announce that she had tested positive for Covid-19 -- has triggered alarm.
And elsewhere in Washington, a slew of cases among political partygoers illustrates the push and pull between returning back to "normal" life and continuing efforts to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield told CNN's John Berman Friday that it is "possible" Biden will eventually contract Covid-19, but she added the White House continues to take precautions.
"The President is certainly living his life, just as you say all Americans across the country are -- while taking precautions, while ensuring that we're following CDC guidance," she said.
While Covid case numbers in Washington and around the country remain low, a rash of cases among high-profile lawmakers and notable figures in the nation's capital has led to increased scrutiny on the administration's Covid protocols.
