REPORTERS SELF QUARANTINED

Politico, the Washington Post, the Daily Beast, and Mother Jones have asked reporters who covered CPAC to self-quarantine and work remotely due to concerns that they may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus.  Both the Post and Politico say they’ve taken measures to clean and sanitize public areas. The Post has asked employees who were at CPAC to self-quarantine for seven days.

All newsrooms tell Washingtonian they’ve taken such measures out of an abundance of caution.

Someone who’d attended the annual conservative gathering at National Harbor last month has tested positive for the virus. Matt Schlapp, the head of the American Conservative Union, which puts on CPAC, has said he shook this person’s hand. Schlapp shook President Trump‘s hand after interacting with the infected person. The White House says the President never interacted with the infected person and shows no symptoms of the virus.

US Senator Ted Cruz and US Representative Paul A. Gosar have also self-quarantined because they interacted with the infected person.

In a statement late Sunday, the American Conservative Union says the Maryland Department of Health has “screened thousands” of employees at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in National Harbor, and that no one, including CPAC staff, hotel employees, or attendees has shown any sign of being infected.PAC is traditionally well-covered by DC media outlets.