U.S. President Joe Biden meets with members of the White House COVID-19 Response Team on the most recent developments associated to the Omicron variant within the Roosevelt Room within the White House in Washington, U.S., December 16, 2021.
Evelyn Hockstein | Rueters
President Joe Biden examined negative for Covid on Monday, days after he was in close contact with an aide who would ultimately check optimistic for the virus, the White House stated.
He will probably be examined once more Wednesday, press secretary Jen Psaki stated in a launch.
Biden, who turned 79 in November, is the oldest man ever elected to the presidency. He is in good well being, his physician stated in a recent report. The president can also be totally vaccinated and boosted.
“As CDC steering doesn’t require totally vaccinated individuals to quarantine after an publicity, the President will proceed with his every day schedule,” Psaki stated.
The White House announcement got here quickly after new knowledge revealed that the extremely transmissible omicron variant of Covid had become the most dominant strain of the virus. People who are vaccinated and boosted are typically protected towards extreme sickness in the event that they contract omicron, in keeping with analysis.
The aide, whom Psaki described as a “mid-level staffer,” obtained a optimistic check outcome Monday morning. On Friday, this particular person spent about half-hour close to the president on Air Force One on the best way from South Carolina to Philadelphia, in keeping with Psaki.
The particular person, who is vaccinated and boosted, had examined negative for Covid forward of the Air Force One flight and didn’t expertise signs till Sunday, she added.
Biden obtained an antigen check Sunday as a part of his testing routine, Psaki stated, including that he examined negative then, too.
Read the total launch from the White House:
As we acknowledged final summer time, we consider it’s within the public’s curiosity to know if any of the 4 principals (President, Vice President, First Lady, and Second Gentleman) are thought of to have been in close contact with a White House official who subsequently tests optimistic for COVID-19 shortly after that contact. The standards for what is taken into account a “close contact” with the principals is decided by the White House Medical Unit, in line with CDC steering.
On Monday morning, a mid-level employees member, who doesn’t usually have contact with the President, obtained a optimistic outcome for a COVID-19 check. Three days earlier, on Friday, that employees member had spent roughly half-hour in proximity to the President on Air Force One, on the best way from Orange, South Carolina to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This employees member is totally vaccinated and boosted, and examined negative previous to boarding Air Force One, as is required for everybody touring with the President. This employees member didn’t start to expertise signs till Sunday, and was examined on Monday.
Others on Air Force One who have been in close contact with this employees member are being contacted and will probably be suggested to get examined per CDC steering.
The President is examined frequently. As a part of that common testing, the President obtained an antigen check Sunday, and examined negative.
This morning, after being notified of the staffer’s optimistic check, the President obtained a PCR check and examined negative. He will probably be examined once more on Wednesday.
As CDC steering doesn’t require totally vaccinated individuals to quarantine after an publicity, the President will proceed with his every day schedule.