Biden Was in Close Contact With a White House Official Who Later Tested Positive

U.S.|Biden was successful adjacent interaction with a White House authoritative who aboriginal tested positive.

• Dec. 20, 2021, 7:27 p.m. ET

President Biden was successful adjacent interaction with a White House authoritative who aboriginal tested affirmative for the coronavirus, the medication said connected Monday.

The president came into interaction with the authoritative aboard Air Force One connected Friday, spending astir 30 minutes adjacent that idiosyncratic during a travel from South Carolina to Pennsylvania, Jen Psaki, the White House property secretary, said successful a statement. The official, who was vaccinated and had received a booster shot, began experiencing symptoms 2 days aboriginal and tested affirmative connected Monday morning.

“The President is tested connected a regular basis. As portion of that regular testing, the President received an antigen trial Sunday, and tested negative,” Ms. Psaki said. “This morning, aft being notified of the staffer’s affirmative test, the President received a PCR trial and tested negative.” She added that Mr. Biden would beryllium tested again connected Wednesday, and that, arsenic a afloat vaccinated person, helium was not required to quarantine aft exposure.

Administration officials admit that arsenic the highly contagious Omicron variant has surged, determination person been cases successful and astir the White House, including the National Security Council, State Department and different agencies. At slightest 1 person who traveled with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken connected a travel overseas past week tested positive, causing Mr. Blinken to chopped his travel short.

Ms. Psaki said that everyone who worked successful the medication was encouraged to person a booster changeable and that “99 percent” of White House unit had already received one.

Still, a memo sent to White House unit connected Monday day provided a nexus to docket a Pfizer dose and a plea: “The champion mode to support yourself and others is by being afloat vaccinated and receiving a booster arsenic soon arsenic you are eligible.”

Elsewhere successful the administration, agencies are readying to necessitate officials to instrumentality to the office. A memo sent to Commerce Department employees connected Friday from Don Graves, the lawman secretary, outlined a program to commencement a “staggered attack to return” opening successful January.