Dr Anthony Fauci has criticized the decision to hold last week's White House Correspondents' Dinner fearing that Americans might take it as a sure sign the pandemic is over and Covid no longer a serious threat.
The nation's top infectious disease doctor shared his frustrations on a phone call with public health experts earlier this week saying he was 'miffed' stressing he was worried that people were losing sight of protecting those who are still most vulnerable when it comes to Covid.
Fauci then used the WHCA dinner, which was attended by President Joe Biden, as a prime example.
Thousands of guests including dozens of other administration officials all attended the event which was held at the Washington Hilton ballroom.
The Biden administration's was holding an off-the-record callsin which groups of prominent health experts and commentators give updates on the Covid response. Biden is pictured speaking at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner last Saturday
Dr. Anthony Fauci was reportedly 'miffed' about the last week's White House Correspondents' Dinner as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
During the off-the-record call, which was heard by at least four other people, and reported to Politico, Fauci wondered aloud why so many felt comfortable gathering maskless indoors as a fresh surge in Covid cases continues to surge.
Fauci, 81, who did not attend the dinner out of concern for his own health, did not criticize Biden or the other officials directly, but rather the points were made during his appeal for health experts to emphasize that the fight to control the pandemic fight is still continuing.
But Fauci's assessment stands in direct contrast to the far more relaxed approach held by White House and Covid-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha who was both at the dinner and on Fauci's phone call.
Jha made no comment in response to Fauci's remarks.
Thousands of guests mingled during the annual White House Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington, last Saturday night
'I don't think events like that need to be canceled,' Jha told Fox News. 'I think if people put in good safeguards, they can make it substantially
