President-Elect Joe Biden's has announced that adviser Cedric Richmond has tested positive for the coronavirus. Richmond began experiencing symptoms on Wednesday and will quarantine for two weeks.
“The protocols we have followed are consistent with protocols we followed during the campaign to ensure the safety of everyone involved,” Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said.
“We take all precautions possible, follow the best guidance of public health officials and remain committed to transparency and information sharing when positive tests do arise.”
The news comes as Richmond takes on his newest role within the incoming Biden administration. After Biden is sworn in, he will work as the director of the Office of Public Engagement. In this position, he will work with business leaders and advocate for civil rights groups like the NAACP. Thus far, he has joined the Democratic Party down in Georgia as Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock make late Senate runs.
While in Georgia, President-Elect Joe Biden reportedly did not have extended contact with the congressman. Biden has reportedly not tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks.
“Richmond’s interactions with the president-elect happened in open air, were masked and totaled less than 15 consecutive minutes, the CDC’s timeframe for close contact. Richmond traveled to Georgia on his own and not with the president-elect,” Bedingfield said.
The news comes as the pandemic takes another turn for the worse. On Wednesday, nearly 3,600 people died from the virus. Adding on, the COVID Tracking Project recorded more than 230,000 new cases and nearly 115,000 hospitalizations. As the holiday season nears on, things can get much worse if CDC recommendations are not utilized properly.
"We are still at a dangerous and critical part of this pandemic and tens of thousands of American lives are at stake really every week," Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Adm. Brett P. Giroir.
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