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Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Sunday and last saw President Joe Biden on Tuesday, according to a statement.
On Tuesday, Psaki, 42, said she and the president sat outside more than 6 feet (1.8 m) apart and donned masks, despite the fact that she had been vaccinated and was only having moderate symptoms. A source familiar with the situation claimed Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Saturday.
“Out of an abundance of honesty,” Psaki stated, “I am sharing today’s positive test.”
Since January, Psaki, the White House’s chief spokesman, has been the most high-profile member of the Biden administration to contract COVID-19.
Psaki claimed she didn’t accompany Biden on his trip to Rome and Glasgow this week because a member of her household tested positive for the virus, following which she quarantined.
She said she had been in isolation since Wednesday and had tested negative many times until testing positive on Sunday.
Following a negative fast COVID-19 test, Psaki indicated in a statement that she planned to return to work after a 10-day quarantine period.
Millions of Americans have refused to receive life-saving immunizations, making it difficult for the White House to control the pandemic.
At the request of Biden’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, Psaki stated earlier this year that Biden, who is fully vaccinated, is tested every two weeks as surveillance. Biden, 78, has had three COVID-19 shots, including a booster last month, from Pfizer Inc/BioNTech.
The number of breakthrough COVID-19 infections among White House workers has been kept under wraps.
In the early phases of the illness, Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, avoided wearing masks and downplayed its significance. In the last weeks of the 2020 presidential campaign, he contracted COVID-19, which infected several of his team members, including former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
