Jen Psaki reveals she tested positive for COVID-19

Jen Psaki.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced Sunday she has tested positive for COVID-19.

Last week, President Biden traveled to Europe for a meeting with Pope Francis, the G20 summit, and the COP26 climate talks. In a statement, Psaki said she remained in the United States because members of her household tested positive for COVID-19, and after testing negative herself four days in a row, she had a positive result on Sunday.

"While I have not had close contact in person with the president or senior members of the White House staff since Wednesday and tested negative four days after that last contact, I am disclosing today's positive test out of an abundance of transparency," Psaki said. She last saw Biden on Tuesday, Psaki added, and they both were wearing masks and standing more than six feet apart.

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"Thanks to the vaccine, I have only experienced mild symptoms, which has enabled me to continue working from home," Psaki said. "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."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.