White House press secretary Jen Psaki tested positive for COVID for the second time in five months and will miss President Joe Biden's trip to Europe this week, she announced on Tuesday.
Double-vaccinated and boosted Psaki was tested ahead of the trip. She noted President Biden tested negative for covid on Tuesday.
Psaki, 43, first tested positive in October and was forced to work from home for 10 days to follow old CDC guidelines.
She had two socially-distanced meetings with Biden this week. White House staff have stopped wearing face masks in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
Psaki's bombshell announcement came moments before she was scheduled to host her daily press briefing at the White House. Biden leaves Wednesday for a NATO meeting in Brussels followed by a trip to Poland.
'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,' she wrote on Twitter.
'I had two socially-distanced meetings with the President yesterday, and he is not considered a close contact as defined by CDC guidance. I am sharing the news of my positive test today out of an abundance of transparency. The President tested negative today via PCR test,' she added.
'Thanks to the vaccine, I have only experienced mild symptoms. In alignment with White House COVID-19 protocols, I will work from home and plan to return to work in person at the conclusion of a five-day isolation period and a negative test,' she noted.
Psaki briefed the press on Monday and worked at the White House that day.
Deputy White House press secretary Chris Meagher started Tuesday briefing by acknowledging Psaki's diagnosis.
'Obviously we've had some last minute adjustments to the briefing, which is why I'm up here today,' Meagher said.
He said no reporter who attended Monday's press briefing was considered a close contact to Psaki and that contact tracing had begun.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was at Tuesday's press briefing, as previously scheduled to be, to talk about Biden's trip. He wore a black face mask as he waited for his turn at the podium.
Psaki thanked Meagher for jumping in.
'A complete professional and great colleague. Thanks to @chrismeagher46 for jumping in today with hardly any notice. (Also sorry the podium is so low),' she noted.
Psaki is about 5'2' while Meagher is significantly taller.
Psaki missed President Biden's last trip to Europe in October as she tested positive for COVID.
At the time, she was highest ranking administration official to test positive for covid.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
