Not even a coronavirus can stop the senate hearing. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of the White House's coronavirus task force, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is set to testify on Tuesday, May 12, before a senate committee. Although he is going into 'modified quarantine,' Fauci will testify remotely. He will appear alongside the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Robert Redfield, and other officials to discuss reopening the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Sunday, May 10, the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Lamar Alexander, announced the committee hearing would take place over video conference.
"After consulting with Dr. Fauci, and in an abundance of caution for our witnesses, senators, and the staff, all four Administration witnesses will appear by videoconference due to these unusual circumstances," Alexander said in a statement. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn and Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir will also appear at the virtual hearing.
Dr. Fauci Exposed to COVID-19
On Sunday, Fauci had been confirmed exposed to White House staff who had been positive for the COVID-19. He does not require to go full quarantine like the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Stephen Hahn, because he only had 'low risk' contact with the infected staff or was not "in close proximity" to the person who tested positive by the time he was confirmed to be positive for the virus, so there is no need for full quarantine.
Other Officials Are Required for Full Quarantine
In Dr. Hahn's case, he came into contact with a staff who tested positive for coronavirus, FDA official confirmed. Meanwhile, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert Redfield, will self-quarantine for two weeks after he was exposed to a person at the White House who tested positive for COVID-19, a CDC spokesperson also told CNN.
