Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to meet with President Biden and other U.S. officials on St. Patrick's Day, but he learned at a Wednesday evening dinner that he tested positive for COVID-19. So on Thursday, even though he was across the street from the White House at Blair House, Martin met with Biden virtually from the Oval Office.
"I'm really deeply sorry for the inconvenience that we have to meet virtually this year," Biden told Martin. And he really was, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. Biden "is an extrovert, extrovert, extrovert," and "was looking forward to having the meeting today," she said. Biden, who is Irish-American, attended the rest of the scheduled St. Patrick's Day festivities on Thursday, but Martin did not.
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