CNN reported Tuesday that some staff from CNN, ABC News, NBC News, CBS News and Politico have tested positive since the dinner.
Thousands of people attend the dinner, which was held in the Washington Hilton’s basement-level ballroom, the traditional locale.
Pete Davidson (left) and Kim Kardashian (right) walk the red carpet at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Trevor Noah joked that, ‘Fauci thought it was too dangerous to come tonight. Pete Davidson thinks it’s OK. ‘And we all went with Pete’
Unlike the early April Gridiron dinner – where more than 10 per cent of dinner guests tested positive for COVID in its aftermath – the White House Correspondents’ Association had attendees take an antigen test in the 24 hours before dinner began.
The Gridiron Club only required guests to show proof of vaccination.
WHCD attendees had to snap a picture of their negative COVID test and upload it to an app called Bindle.
Another difference between the Gridiron Dinner and WHCD is that while the Gridiron Dinner is a singular event, the WHCD is generally a whole weekend of parties – kicking off Thursday night with several fetes, it continues through the weekend with dinners, after-parties and at least three large-scale brunches.
Organizers approached COVID protocols differently at every event.
At a minimum, most required proof of vaccination – though it wasn’t always checked.
Others didn’t take any chances.
At the annual Creative Coalition dinner, for example, held Friday night at the YOTEL Washington, guests couldn’t enter the indoor dinner space without being swabbed for COVID first.
The arts advocacy group hired Viral Concierge to perform a rapid antigen test.
Guests received their COVID test results directly to their phones, which they presented to security as their ticket to enter.
Dr. Anthony Fauci (left), who attended the superspreader Gridiron Dinner in early April, opted to skip the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, but did attend Saturday’s predominantly outdoor garden brunch. He’s photographed with one of the organizers, Tammy Haddad (right)