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Hillary Clinton responds to story about ‘posh’ restaurant outing with vaccine PSA

Hillary Clinton responded to a New York Post story that said she dined at a “posh” New York City restaurant with friends, using the story as an opportunity to tout the benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

“Get vaccinated. Then get a glass of wine with your friends,” the former secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee tweeted Friday along with a wine glass emoji.

The former first lady and wife of former President Clinton also shared a screenshot of the Post’s tweet that included photos of the couple drinking wine and gathering with friends at an outdoor restaurant in New York City earlier in the week.

The Post reported that the couple arrived with Secret Service protection to the French restaurant Le Bilboquet in Manhattan, which the Post referred to as “a posh Upper East Side restaurant.” 

The photos published by the Post showed the Clintons speaking with friends, including English actress, film producer and director Trudie Styler. 

Hillary Clinton could be seen wearing a mask in one of the photographs, though she and others in the group did not appear to be wearing them as they dined together at the restaurant. 

Updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released earlier this month said that individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer have to wear masks in most settings. 

The Clintons, who both got vaccinated earlier this year, have previously participated in campaigns to encourage Americans to get the shot. 

In a March video by the Ad Council, the Clintons as well as former Presidents Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush and Barack Obama and their wives were pictured receiving the vaccine. 

In the one-minute ad, titled “It’s Up To You,” Obama told viewers that the “vaccine means hope.” 

“It will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease,” he added. 

The former presidents also shared what they were looking forward to once the pandemic ends, with Clinton saying that he was anticipating going “back to work” and being “able to move around” and Obama saying he wanted to see Michelle Obama’s mother and “hug her and see her on her birthday.” 

As of Saturday, roughly half of the U.S. population had received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, with 40 percent fully vaccinated, according to data from the CDC.