White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she tested positive for COVID-19 again
CBSSep 09, 2022
The Facts
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced that she will no longer accompany Biden on his trip to Europe, after testing positive for COVID on Tuesday. Psaki said there is no concern for Pres. Biden as he's not considered a "close contact."
Psaki has said she is only experiencing mild symptoms thanks to her vaccination status. This is her second bout with COVID, having tested positive last October.
The Spin
Left narrative
Despite public health experts warning that the US could see another COVID surge in the summer or fall, top politicians have been spending hours on the House floor without masks and attending party retreats, testing positive as a result. Although the US is trying to move on from the virus, even politicians who have traditionally touted pandemic safety are setting a poor example as we navigate our new normal.
Right narrative
We've entered another chapter in the pandemic. Omicron BA.2 may be spreading more rapidly and even and bringing re-infections, but what matters is severe illness and death - which is trending down toward levels not that different from seasonal flu. Let's respect the public's pandemic fatigue and start moving on.
Progressive narrative
BA.2 is spreading rapidly and hurtling the globe towards catastrophe. Socially-accepted terms like "endemic" and "new normal" are disingenuous as the pandemic rolls into yet another deadly surge. Deaths are increasing across the globe as a result of the subvariant, but public health has been cast aside to serve the selfish interests of the ruling elite.