White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated on Sunday that she had contracted COVID-19 following members of her household testing positive. She was first slated to leave the White House with President Joe Biden on Thursday for his visit to Scotland and Italy. However, principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accompanied him in lieu of her.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tests positive for COVID-19. (Photo: Getty Images)
In a statement, Psaki remarked that she sought the advice of the medical team and senior leadership at the White House on Wednesday and decided not to travel on the trip abroad. Since then, she had been in isolation with her family and tested negative for four consecutive days prior to testing positive on Sunday.
‘Out of Abundance of Transparency’
According to Psaki, she last saw the president on Tuesday outside with his face mask on prior to his departure for Rome for the Group of 20 Summit. She said that she was disclosing her positive test result for the novel coronavirus “out of an abundance of transparency.” She continued that she is currently working remotely and has suffered from mild symptoms. The White House declared on Thursday that she would no longer accompany the president on his overseas trip “for at least the first few days” due to a family emergency.
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Last Contact With Biden
Psaki, 42, said she last engaged with Biden on Tuesday in the White House where they practiced social distancing of over six feet (1.8 m) apart while donning face masks. According to the White House, the president is tested frequently for the coronavirus and last tested negative on Saturday, reported CTV News.
Return to Work
Psaki said that she is looking to come back to work in person following her quarantine period for 10 days after a negative rapid test. This is the White House prerequisite, she indicated.
On Sunday, the president finished the G20 summit. After that, he will be traveling to Glasgow, Scotland for the climate summit sponsored by the United Nations.
The 78-year-old president was administered a vaccine booster shot for the virus in September. Numerous Americans are still dubious regarding receiving inoculations. Fifty-eight percent of the population are fully vaccinated. The United States has reported over 745,000 COVID-19 fatalities, reported NDTV.
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