White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre late Sunday said she tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from President Biden’s trip to Europe, making her the latest person in the 79-year-old leader’s orbit to get infected.
Ms. Jean-Pierre said she is experiencing mild symptoms and does not believe she exposed Mr. Biden to the virus during the trip.
“I last saw the president during a socially distanced meeting yesterday, and the president is not considered a close contact as defined by CDC guidance,” she said. “I am sharing the news of my positive test today out of an abundance of transparency.”
The deputy took a leading role in Mr. Biden’s trip to Belgium and Poland to address the Russian attack on Ukraine after the lead press secretary, Jen Psaki, tested positive on the cusp of the trip, forcing her to stay home.
The virus has attacked the upper echelons of the White House with alarming frequency this month.
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive in mid-March, raising concerns about a potential chain of exposure through his wife, Vice President Kamala Harris, who is first in line to become the leader of the free world. Days later, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin tested positive for the virus late Wednesday and had to leave an event at the National Building Museum attended by Mr. Biden.
The White House said it does not believe any person with a confirmed infection was in close contact with Mr. Biden. The CDC defines close contact as someone who is less than 6 feet away from an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes in a 24-hour period.
Mr. Biden is vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 disease, but seniors generally face a higher risk of bad outcomes from the virus than young people.
Ms. Jean-Pierre, 44, credited the vaccine with keeping her safe.
“Thanks to being fully vaccinated and boosted, I have only experienced mild symptoms,” she said. “In alignment with White House COVID-19 protocols, I will work from home and plan to return to work in person at the conclusion of a five-day isolation period and a negative test.”
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.