White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki revealed Sunday she did not accompany President Joe Biden on his second foreign trip because she has contracted COVID-19.
Psaki revealed that a family member tested positive for the novel coronavirus, with her later testing positive for COVID-19 herself.
“Thanks to the vaccine, I have only experienced mild symptoms, which has enabled me to continue working from home,” she wrote in a statement Sunday. “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 CDC guidance, taken out of an abundance of caution.”
Psaki’s positive test is the Biden administration’s most high-profile breakthrough coronavirus infection as it grapples with public health messaging and vaccine hesitancy amid the pandemic.
“On Wednesday, in coordination with senior leadership at the White House and the medical team, I made the decision not to travel on the foreign trip with the president due to a family emergency, which was members of my household testing positive for COVID-19,” she said. “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.”
Psaki added she has not been in close contact with Biden or senior aides since Wednesday, and that she was disclosing Sunday’s test results “out of an abundance of transparency.”
“I last saw the president on Tuesday, when we sat outside more than six-feet apart, and wore masks,” she said.
