Secretary of State Mike Pompeo invited hundreds of guests for holiday gatherings in the coming weeks, despite warnings to socially distance amid the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a report by the Washington Post, invites for one of the events went out to 900 people, and a separate event invited 180 foreign ambassadors to come to the United States.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed to the Washington Examiner that safety precautions against COVID-19 will be implemented. Among them, all attendees will be required to wear masks and socially distance.
The department will also offer temperature checks through forehead scanning machines at the entrance of events and provide hand-sanitizing towers.
“We’ve taken every precaution to thin out the number of individuals in all spaces at one time, and plan to keep outdoors space open and available to attendees, weather permitting,” the spokesperson said.
The events are also expected to offer refreshments and drinks for guests, which the department said will be prepared by a careful staff wearing gloves and masks while handling any food or beverage, which will be served individually.
Prior to guests’ arrival to any department facility, invitees will be sent an email asking them to stay home if they have come into contact with someone positive for COVID-19, or if they have experienced any symptoms.
One of the events is potentially planned to take place at Blair House, a building located near the White House that traditionally serves as the “president’s guest house.”
According to the department, the Diplomatic Corps will be spread into three separate blocks of time for entrance to the White House and Blair House to keep people spaced out and socially distant.
“We do not anticipate any problems in monitoring the number of individuals in these indoor spaces or exceeding the allotted numbers for indoor gatherings,” the spokesperson said.
Some officials within the department expressed private ire at the thought of breaking protocols meant to weaken the spread of COVID-19, which has now infected over 14 million people across the country.
“What makes Secretary Pompeo and his Chief of Protocol, Cam Henderson, think they are above the rules and have the virus under control to throw numerous parties when there is literally a pandemic raging inside the building that they can’t fix,” one official anonymously told CNN. “It is simply irresponsible.”
Spikes in COVID-19 throughout the country have prompted state and local officials to implement more public health measures, as hospitals become overwhelmed and cases and deaths continue to spike.
