With a Flurry of Excessive-Profile Coronavirus Instances, Washington Is Once more on Edge

With a Flurry of Excessive-Profile Coronavirus Instances, Washington Is Once more on Edge

The speaker’s workplace confirmed that Ms. Pelosi, who’s vaccinated and boosted, had acquired a unfavorable P.C.R. take a look at consequence on Thursday morning, and would proceed to check frequently and observe C.D.C. tips, although it was not clear which of them. It was additionally unclear whether or not the Workplace of the Attending Doctor thought of Ms. Pelosi, 81, to be an in depth contact of Mr. Martin.

Ms. Pelosi appeared at her weekly information convention on Thursday, saying that she was examined almost each day. Mr. Martin remained masked till meals was served, she mentioned, and was pulled apart in the course of the appetizer course about his constructive take a look at.

“We’re very, very unhappy that on St. Patrick’s Day, the taoiseach has this prognosis,” she mentioned at her indoor information convention, the place she eliminated her masks to talk and take questions.

The scheduled lunch — the Mates of Eire Luncheon on Capitol Hill — proceeded on Thursday with out Mr. Martin. Ms. Pelosi addressed the room, the place lawmakers sat at spherical tables, whereas introducing Mr. Biden, who sat on a stool a number of ft away. Neither wore a masks, and there have been few face coverings within the room.

“America has been blessed by Irish kids, and a type of Irish kids is now the president of america,” Ms. Pelosi mentioned, simply earlier than they shook fingers and Mr. Biden took the lectern. He didn’t keep for lunch.

In a practice going again to 1952, Irish ambassadors or political leaders current the American president with a bowl of shamrocks on or round St. Patrick’s Day, normally within the White Home. The custom is valued in Eire, and by many Irish Individuals, as an indication of the shut ties between the 2 international locations.

Mr. Martin could now by no means go to the Oval Workplace in his official capability: His first scheduled go to final 12 months was canceled due to the pandemic and, as a part of a coalition cope with two different Irish political events, he’s anticipated handy over the prime ministership earlier than subsequent March.

On Wednesday, Claire Cronin, the U.S. ambassador to Eire, mentioned on Twitter that she canceled her plans to affix Mr. Martin on his journey to Washington as a result of she had examined constructive for the coronavirus.

Emily Cochrane contributed reporting from Washington, and Adeel Hassan and Alyssa Lukpat from New York.