Rosenworcel Tests Positive for COVID-19

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel tested positive for COVID-19, she announced in a Monday tweet. Rosenworcel, who's vaccinated, is the latest high-ranking official to test positive following a Gridiron Club dinner she reportedly attended earlier this month, and will work from home “for now,” she said.

“It is difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the Chairwoman’s COVID-19 contraction,” emailed an FCC spokesperson. Rosenworcel had tested negative prior to the most recent result and is “experiencing mild symptoms,” she said: “While there may be some scheduling adjustments, the Chairwoman will continue to perform her official duties from home.”

Rosenworcel will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and the agency’s “protocol for COVID exposure notifications,” the spokesperson said. The April 21 meeting will include some staff attending in person “if they choose and if it is safe to do so,” she said.

Rosenworcel is scheduled to appear in person at the NAB Show in Las Vegas April 25, according to an NAB announcement that was released shortly after Rosenworcel’s tweets about her positive test. NAB didn’t comment on whether her appearance will be affected. "We wish the chairwoman a speedy recovery," an NAB spokesperson said. "Our primary concern is her health." LeGeyt didn't attend the Gridiron dinner, the trade group told us. The CDC recommends self-isolating for at least five days with a positive test result, and avoiding travel for 10. The event is planned as a “fireside chat” featuring Rosenworcel and NAB President Curtis LeGeyt on the show’s main stage. Since the NAB Show hasn’t been in person since the pandemic began, it would be the first time the chairwoman addressed the convention. LeGeyt and Rosenworcel “will discuss the Chairwoman’s priorities for 2022 and beyond, her thoughts about the state of the broadcasting industry and her approach to the complex issues facing the FCC,” the release said.

The FCC informed employees it's heading toward returning to in-office work in a memo last week (see 2204060064). The agency will enter phase 3 of its reentry plans May 15, meaning staff will be required to justify requests to continue teleworking. That memo said the agency is looking to move to phase 4 -- the agency’s pre-COVID-19, in-office operations -- “in the near future.”

Cases of COVID-19 “are definitely going up,” but the number of reported cases is probably undercounted because some people may be testing at home or not at all, said David Dowdy, Johns Hopkins University infectious disease epidemiologist.

Commissioners met in person for the first time since the agency shifted to complete telework for their March commissioners meeting. Rosenworcel noted then it was the “first step” toward opening the agency’s new headquarters to the public (see 2203160031). Commissioner Brendan Carr, who has been working in the office, “has not been in close contact” with Rosenworcel, an aide said. An aide to Commissioner Geoffrey Starks declined to comment and directed us to Starks' tweet wishing Rosenworcel well. Commissioner Nathan Simington's office didn’t comment.

People should consider their vaccination status or whether they previously contracted COVID-19 when deciding whether to attend a large gathering, Dowdy said. Individuals at a higher risk of serious illness “should consider that the risk of getting infected with this virus is higher now than it was three weeks ago,” he said.