Jen Psaki, Joe Biden’s White House press secretary, said on Sunday she had tested positive for Covid-19.
Psaki, 42, did not travel with Biden to Rome, for the G20 summit, from where the president was due to travel on to Glasgow for the Cop26 climate talks.
In a statement, Psaki said she stayed in the US “due to a family emergency, which was members of my household testing positive for Covid-19. Since then, I have quarantined and tested negative via PCR for Covid on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. However, today I tested positive for Covid.
“While I have not had close contact in person with the president or senior members of the White House staff since Wednesday and tested negative for four days after that last contact, I am disclosing today’s positive test out of an abundance of transparency.”
News of a positive test for such a close aide to the president came a little over a year after an outbreak at the White House reached the then president, Donald Trump, who was forced to spend time in hospital.
Psaki said she last saw Biden, 78, on Tuesday, “when we sat outside more than 6ft apart and wore masks”.
She also said that “thanks to the vaccine I have only experienced mild symptoms, which has enabled me to continue working from home.
“I will plan to return to work in person at the conclusion of the 10-day quarantine following a negative rapid test, which is an additional White House requirement beyond [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidance, taken out an abundance of caution.”
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