White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House on March 17, 2022, in Washington. Psaki announced she recently tested positive for COVID-19. Patrick Semansky/AP hide caption
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Patrick Semansky/AP
White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday that she had tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Psaki said she had two “socially-distanced meetings” with Biden on Monday and said he is not considered a close contact by CDC guidance.
Biden tested negative with a PCR test on Tuesday, she said.
“Today, in preparation for travel to Europe, I took a PCR test this morning. That test came back positive, which means I will be adhering to CDC guidance and no longer be traveling on the President’s trip to Europe,” Psaki wrote on Twitter.
Today, in preparation for travel to Europe, I took a PCR test this morning. That test came back positive, which means I will be adhering to CDC guidance and no longer be traveling on the President’s trip to Europe.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) March 22, 2022
It’s the second time that Psaki has tested positive for the virus, and the second time she will miss an international trip because of it. Last fall, the press secretary tested positive just ahead of Biden’s trip to the G-20 summit in Rome.
Psaki, who is fully vaccinated, said she was experiencing “mild symptoms” and would work from home until the conclusion of her five-day isolation and a negative COVID-19 test.
President Biden is set to depart for Brussels and Warsaw on Wednesday.
During the White House press briefing Tuesday, deputy press secretary Chris Meagher filled in for Psaki.
Meagher said that members of the press who attended Monday’s press briefing weren’t considered to be close contacts. The White House is currently conducting contract tracing, he added.