Guests attending the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, reversing earlier guidelines that only required a same-day negative test.
The decision comes after more than 70 people, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus after attending the Gridiron dinner in Washington, D.C., last week. The White House Correspondents’ Association is now requiring proof of vaccination and also recommends attendees receive a second booster shot if eligible.
“The board’s policy is aimed at preventing anyone who is known to be infectious (as indicated by a positive result on a rapid antigen test) from spreading the virus at the dinner,” said WHCA President Steven Portnoy in an email to the association. “But nothing we implement to protect the ballroom can reach the many social events other organizers throw around our dinner. Bear that in mind.”
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The dinner, held on April 30, will be the first time the event has been hosted since 2019 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The WHCA said the event would “offer the first opportunity since 2016 for the press and the president to share a few laughs for a good cause,” recalling its rocky relationship with former President Donald Trump.
In 2019, the Trump administration ordered a boycott of the annual dinner, with the former president traveling to Wisconsin for a campaign rally instead.
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The WHCA told attendees to be cautious over the coming weeks as a way to avoid another COVID-19 outbreak.
“Each of us should judge our respective risk thresholds before engaging in any of these activities,” Portnoy wrote.
