CBS chief George Cheeks tests positive for COVID just days after sitting next to Biden at White House Correspondent’s Dinner ‘superspreader’ event
- CBS Chief George Cheeks tests positive for COVID on Thursday, days after the April 29 event, the network confirmed on Friday
- Cheeks sat next to president and the first lady at the highly coveted event
- CBS issued a statement that Cheeks had been fully vaccinated and had a booster shot, and tested negative before the WHCD, and days after
- On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the President had tested negative on Tuesday, two days after attending the event
- It is unclear if the President has taken another COVID test since than but, White House officials said that he is tested regularly
CBS Chief George Cheeks tested positive for COVID just days after sitting next to President Biden and the First Lady at last weekend’s highly coveted White House Correspondent’s dinner.
On Friday, CBS confirmed that Cheeks had tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday.
‘He is feeling fine and working from home,’ the company said in a statement, according to The New York Times.
Biden meanwhile tested negative Tuesday, two days after the event, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, It’s not clear if Biden has tested again since.
It’s yet another Covid close shave for Biden who had many members of his team recently test positive.
On April 26, Vice President Kamala Harris took a rapid and a PCR test that both came back positive. She isolated at her Washington residence and did not attend last week’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner. In March, Psaki came down with COVID, it would be the press secretary’s second bout with the virus, after contracting it in October, according to news reports.
First Lady Jill Biden smiles and waves to the ballroom of 2,600 during the April 29 White House Correspondent’s Dinner next to President Joe Biden with CBS Chief, George Cheeks (pictured far right) and Daily Host Trevor Noah (pictured far left)
CBS Chief George Cheeks stands near President Bill and the First Lady at last weekend’s coveted event. Cheeks, who was negative at the dinner, tested positive for COVID on Thursday, the network confirmed
The network said Cheeks had been fully vaccinated and had received a booster shot, and had tested negative before the April 29 dinner, and was also negative on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the news outlet reported.
Cheeks sat on the dais beside First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and current White House Correspondents Association chief and CBS News’ Steve Portnoy, until President Biden arrived an hour into the event.
A maskless Cheeks greeted the president and Daily Show host Trevor Noah, who was the MC of the night’s festivities, and was also unmasked, with a hand shake.
After Biden spoke, the president and first lady sat with Cheeks, laughing and enjoying the night’s festivities, as Noah roasted the room of 2,600 that was filled with power players, political figures, celebrities and journalists, who all were maskless at the big event.
Noah poked fun of those in attendance calling it ‘the nation’s most distinguished superspreader event.’
Other high-profile guests that tested positive for COVID days after the WHC dinner, were Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and several journalists, including, ABC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, who also shook hands with the President and Voice of America National Correspondent, Steve Herman, The New York Times reported.
The White House did not respond to the DailyMail.com request for comment on Saturday.
A chart showing COVID-19 cases in the United States
A chart showing the number of US infections per day of COVID in April and May
A chart showingn the number of NEW COVID-19 cases per day in the United States
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) posted on their COVID Data Weekly Tracker that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise in the United States. Although deaths continue to decrease, the United States is expected to reach 1 million deaths soon.
Advertisement
,