A veterans group invited to the White House Sept. 27 didn’t expect to be on the frontline of the war with COVID-19, but that may be where they wound up.
Members of the Greatest Generations Foundation were “quietly” warned by the White House on Oct. 2 that their visit may have put those in attendance at risk, according to the Daily Beast.
The indoor event honoring Gold Star Families came a day after a Rose Garden celebration for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, where several attendees later tested positive for COVID-19, including President Trump. While many guests at Barrett’s event were mask-less and in close proximity to one another, it’s not certain that’s where the White House’s viral spread began.
A photo from the Greatest Generations Foundation gathering also appears to show people seated closely together and without face coverings.
Gold Star Father Steven Xiarhos of Yarmouth, Mass., addresses his remarks at a reception to honor Gold Star Families Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)
“The White House has been in daily contact with TGGF for contact-tracing purposes after alerting us on Nov. 2 of a possible COVID-positive person at the event so we could know there was a potential our attendees were exposed,” Greatest Generations Foundation’s president and CEO Timothy Davis told the Daily Beast.
President Trump announced on Oct. 2 that he and the first lady had tested positive for COVID-19. The identity of the “possible COVID-positive person” was not communicated to Davis. The president said Wednesday that he feels ”perfect” after receiving a combination of drugs that is not available to the public. He reported to the Oval Office for work that afternoon meaning the group did not interact with Trump.
“All Gold Star families that attended the event at the White House are doing great and have no symptoms of COVID,” David said.
Gold Star Families are immediate relatives left behind by military members who died serving their country.
___
© 2020 New York Daily News
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
