New York Post, Saturday, November 14, 2020
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Connecticut’s Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday he has begun
self-quarantining after a senior staffer tested positive for COVID-19.
“The governor will immediately begin the process of self-quaran-
tining, as will multiple members of the governor’s senior staff,” his
office said in a statement.
Lamont’s chief spokesperson, Max Reiss, identified himself late
Friday as the staffer who tested positive, saying he has not shown
symptoms and has been home in isolation.
Lamont’s office, which said the governor and his senior staff get
tested twice a week, said contact-tracing efforts were underway and
there were no other known positive cases. Jackie Salo,WiresConn. gov self-quarantines
House Democrats on Friday de-
cided to make their traditional
new-member banquet a “to go”
event after facing backlash for
planning the lavish indoor dinner
despite the risk of spreading
COVID-19.
Republicans also planned their
own dinner for new members; it
was unclear if it would proceed.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
had initially defended throwing a
socially distanced, but indoor, sit-
down feast in the Capitol build-
ing to greet newly elected mem-
bers of Congress to Washington.
“@SpeakerPelosi told me it’s
safe. ‘It’s very spaced,’ she said
and there is enhanced ventilationand the Capitol physician signed
off,” NBC correspondent Leigh
Ann Caldwell tweeted along with
a photo of the banquet tables.
But some critics noted that
health experts are urging Ameri-
cans to skip large Thanksgiving
get-togethers.
“This is setting such a bad ex-
ample,” Daily Beast’s Jackie Kuci-
nich wrote, noting that the gath-
ering was planned for “a room
without working windows.”
Pelosi staffer Drew Hammill
ultimately tweeted, “Members-
elect are now picking up their
boxed meals and departing the
Capitol. There is no group din-
ner.” Jackie SaloDems’ ‘takeout’ dinner
Joe Biden’s top spokeswoman
dodged a question on whether
the president-elect is considering
a four- to six-week national lock-
down amid the uptick in COV-
ID-19 cases in the country.
Instead, deputy campaign man-
ager and communications di-
rector Kate Bedingfield pivoted to
the plans Biden specified during
his campaign to battle the virus.
“I think he laid out very clearly
across the course of the campaign
the things that he wants to do to
get the virus under control,” she
told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thurs-
day, mentioning implementing a
national mask mandate and pro-
viding resources to businesses
and schools so they can reopen.
“Obviously he is listening to the
very best advice from scientists,”
she added.
Tapper pressed, “But what does
that mean, no plans for a lock-
down, but that could change? Imean, he’s on — Michael Oster-
holm is on the task force.”
On Wednesday, Osterholm,
who was named to Biden’s coro-
navirus task force, floated the
idea of a four- to six-week na-
tional shutdown, with the gov-
ernment compensating workers
for lost wages.
Bedingfield responded by re-
peating what she’d just said about
the plan Biden vaguely stated
during the campaign.
“So there are things that Joe
Biden has put forward that will
make a difference and that he’s
focused on,” she added. “Now, of
course, is he taking advice? Is he
hearing from the best public
health experts who are advising
him? Of course, and he’s taking
that into account. But he’s put
forward really aggressive plans
that he intends to implement in
order to get the virus under
control.” Lia EustachewichJoe ‘lockjaw’
on lockdown
People in New York and
around the country are braving
increasingly long lines to get
tested for COVID-19 as officials
brace for a second wave of the
deadly virus.
At CityMD Astoria Urgent
Care on Steinway Street in
Queens, 40 people stood in a
steady drizzle (above) while on
a line that wrapped around the
corner Friday afternoon.
“I’ve been waiting for overtwo hours. I’m freezing,” said
29-year-old Sandy Rosas. “The
city should have more trucks
and mobile centers open. When
I came three weeks ago, I
waited 10 minutes to get tested... It’s been very slow.”
A 35-year-old woman who
only gave her name as Cindy
said she needs a test in order to
go back to work.
“I work at a doctor’s office. It
would be great if we didn’t have
to wait so long but I don’t have
a choice,” she told The Post.
At the Forest Hills CityMD on
Austin Street, about 40 others
faced a long wait in the elements.
“They really need to get more
free testing facilities,” Kristin
Haid said. “That way a lot more
people will get tested. I need to
get tested for my company. I just
prepared myself for the wait.”
CityMD did not respond to
The Post’s request for comment.