Washington, Nov. 1 (BUS): White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that she has contracted COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.
Psaki, 42, said she was last in contact with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, when she met him at the White House, where they were more than 6 feet apart and wearing masks. According to the White House, Biden’s last test, which is frequently tested, was negative on Saturday.
Psaki did not accompany Biden on his overseas trip to Rome this weekend for the G20 summit and Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday for a United Nations climate summit, the Associated Press reported.
Psaki had planned to travel with the president but canceled the trip just as he was about to leave for Europe after learning that her family members had tested positive for COVID-19.
“Since then, I have been quarantined and tested negative (via PCR) for COVID on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” Psaki said in a statement. “However, I tested positive for COVID today.”
Psaki, who has been fully vaccinated, said she has only mild symptoms.
“Although I have not had close personal contact with the President or senior White House staff since Wednesday — and tested negative for four days after this last contact — I am disclosing today’s positive test out of an abundance of transparency,” Psaki said.
White House staff and others traveling with the president have been undergoing daily COVID-19 testing since before they left Washington and are all fully vaccinated. Many officials also received booster shots, due to the closeness environment and frequent travel associated with their work.
Biden got a booster dose of COVID-19 on September 27, shortly after federal regulators approved the third dose for many Americans.
Biden was accompanied on the trip by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre.
Psaki said she will return to work in person after the 10-day quarantine is over and after a negative rapid test.
RAE