White House plans holiday parties as Americans urged to stay home
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[November 24, 2020]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White
House plans to hold indoor holiday receptions in the coming weeks
despite ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks and the advice of public health
professionals urging Americans to sacrifice their normal holiday
gatherings to curb the spread of the virus.
U.S. officials have warned against large gatherings on Thursday's
Thanksgiving holiday, instead urging Americans to stay home and forgo
traveling to see relatives in a bid to curb the spread of the novel
coronavirus and protect vulnerable individuals as cases topped 12
million over the weekend.
While the White House has said President Donald Trump and his wife
Melania will remain in Washington this week, skipping their annual
Thanksgiving at Trump's private club in Florida, the first lady plans to
hold a holiday reception a few days later on Nov. 30, according to an
invitation obtained by ABC News.
That follows a series of White House events in recent months that have
been linked to a rash of outbreaks, including Trump's own bout with the
disease from late September into early October. A White House aide and
four others have tested positive in recent days.
Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for the first lady, said the White
House would provide the "safest environment possible" for the Christmas
and Hanukkah celebrations with smaller guest lists than years past,
masks "required and available," social distancing encouraged and hand
sanitizer provided.
"Guests will enjoy food individually plated by chefs at plexiglass-protected
food stations. All passed beverages will be covered," she said in a
statement. "Attending the parties will be a very personal choice. It is
a longstanding tradition for people to visit and enjoy the cheer and
iconic decor of the annual White House Christmas celebrations."
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Christmas wreaths decorate the White House in Washington, U.S.
November 22, 2020. REUTERS/Erin Scott
Health professionals within the administration have advised against
large indoor gatherings.
"We want everyone to understand that these holiday parties can be
super spreader events," U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told ABC
News in an interview on Monday, urging celebrations to be held
outdoors with as few people as possible and pointing to
recommendations by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
"These apply to the White House, they apply to the American people,
they apply to everyone," Adams said.
Still, it appeared as if many Americans were not heeding the advice.
While the number of U.S. air travelers was still down about 60%
compared to a year ago, federal transportation officials on Monday
reported screening the highest number of passengers since March.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey, Andrea Shalal, Lisa Lambert and Jeff
Mason; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Tom Brown)
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