Because of the hazards associated with COVID-19, US President Joe Biden will try to limit direct contact, such as shaking hands, during his visits to Israel and Saudi Arabia this week, White House officials said on Wednesday.
The White House was being questioned about whether Biden would be photographed shaking hands with or seeing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when the seeming change in policy occurred.
After spending a portion of the late afternoon and early evening shaking hands on the White House South Lawn at a congressional picnic, Biden left for Israel late on Tuesday.
During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Biden reluctantly meets the crown prince, who U.S. intelligence believes was responsible for the killing of Washington Post journalist and political rival Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Biden previously referred to the Saudi government as a ‘pariah’ for its role in the killing.
U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Air Force One, ‘We’re in a phase of the epidemic now where we’re seeking to restrict contact and to promote masking… to minimise spread.’
As the rapidly spreading Omicron BA.5 subvariant spreads throughout the US, the White House recommended Americans over 50 to seek COVID-19 immunisation boosters on Tuesday, stating that doing so would not preclude getting another injection this fall.
On Friday, Biden will take part in a bilateral discussion with the king and the crown prince, but Biden has tried to emphasise the meeting with a larger group of Gulf leaders in recent weeks.
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