NYC Mayor Eric Adams tests positive for Covid-19
New York City Mayor Eric Adams tested positive for Covid-19 Sunday after attending a ‘super-spreader’ event in Washington that has already resulted in more than 60 cases.
The first-term Democrat woke up with a raspy voice Sunday and took a PCR test that came back positive, spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a statement. Earlier Sunday, Levy had tweeted that Adams had taken a rapid test that came back negative but took the additional test out of an abundance of caution.
Adams has no other symptoms but has canceled all public events for the week, including an interview on MSNBC and an event at Coney Island Sunday.
In the meantime, he will be taking antiviral medications and working remotely, Levy said.
New York City has been experiencing a steady resurgence in virus cases over the past month. It´s now averaging around 1,800 new cases per day – not counting the many home tests that go unreported to health officials. That´s triple the number in early March, when the city began relaxing masking and vaccination rules.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams stands on the field with New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino, left, before the Yankees opening day baseball game against the Boston Red Sox on Friday
New York City Mayor Eric Adams also attended a screening of the film ‘Equiano’s Story,’ last Tuesday (pictured above)
Adams’ past week was busy: he delivered remarks at the National Action Network convention on Wednesday and attended that night’s gala, appeared in-studio on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ on Thursday before joining Robert De Niro at the ReelAbilities Film Festival, went to the New York Yankees’ opening day Friday and was in Albany on Saturday.
And on April 2, Adams was in attendance for Washington’s annual Gridiron dinner, rubbing shoulders with Washington’s elite – at least 67 of whom have since tested positive for the virus, according to various reports.
The ‘super-spreader event has been responsible for dozens of high-profile cases, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Joaquin Castro, D-Tex., among others.
More than 600 people attended the dinner at the Renaissance Washington Hotel. Guests were required to show proof of vaccination.
The dinner had been called off in 2021 and 2020 because of COVID. During the cocktail hour, the unmasked crowd reportedly mingled and chatted, the New York Post reported.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, who have both tested positive fo COVID, were not in attendance at the dinner party.
The Gridiron Club dinner is an off-camera, off-the-record event for members of the media. Politicians and other a-list figures are invited to its annual dinner.
The event features a Republican speaker, a Democratic speaker, and a speaker representing the sitting administration, along with a series of sketches performed by club members.
Biden’s sister Valerie Biden Owens, 76, was also at the Gridiron dinner and tested positive for COVID, her publisher announced on Thursday. A planned party for her memoir was canceled and her publisher said she is not a close contact with the president or first lady.
Several members of Biden’s cabinet and lawmakers who were at the dinner later tested positive including: Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Senator Collins, Jill Biden’s press secretary Michael LaRosa and Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Joaquin Castro.