President Joe Biden will likely not shake hands during his Middle East trip, the White House indicated shortly before Air Force One arrived in Israel.
There are concerns about an increase in COVID-19 cases and other metrics, triggering the shift in normal protocol, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.
“I think just the simplest way for me to put it is that we’re in a phase of the pandemic right now where we’re looking to increase masking, reduce contact, to minimize spread,” Sullivan said on Air Force One. “That’s the approach we’re taking. How exactly that plays out in any given interaction is something that we will see unfold.”…