Press Secretary Jen Psaki came out positive on Saturday for COVID-19 after coming out negative between Wednesday and Friday. She got herself tested after several family members came out positive. She said that she last met Biden on Tuesday and had been masked and at the safe distance from the President.
Jen Psaki said that she was revealing the results for the sake of transparency. She said she was vaccinated, including the booster dose, and was experiencing mild symptoms.
Jen Psaki continues to work remotely. Several physicians have said that it is highly unlikely that the White House Press Secretary could have passed on the infection to the President.
Leana Wen, former health commissioner of Baltimore City said that based on Jen Psaki’s testing schedule, she had come out negative for three days after her last meeting with Joe Biden on Tuesday. Her meeting was also outdoors, and they were both masked. So the chances of contamination were remote.
Jen Psaki Replaced By Deputy On Foreign Trip
In a press release on Thursday, it was disclosed that Jen Psaki would not be joining Biden on his foreign trip for a few days due to an emergency in the family. Karine Jean-Pierre, her deputy, accompanied Joe Biden on the trip.
In her statement, Jen Psaki said that she decided to avoid the foreign trip in consultation with the White House leadership and its medical team. She said that she decided on the emergency in her household. She later clarified that several members had tested positive in her household.
Psaki said she planned to rejoin work at the end of the 10-day quarantine period. Both the President and VP Kamala Harris received their booster dose recently.
Baylor College infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Hotez said the President was sufficiently protected as he had been vaccinated thrice.
