White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced on Sunday that she has tested positive for COVID-19, demonstrating again that even those who take the most stringent precautions are not immune to the virus.
In a statement issued Sunday, the fully vaccinated Psaki suggested that she contracted COVID from family members.
She also emphasized that she had not been around President Joe Biden – a point that may only raise questions about the strength or effectiveness of the vaccines since Biden already has had a booster shot.
In her statement, Psaki said, “On Wednesday, in coordination with senior leadership at the White House and the medical team, I made the decision not to travel on the foreign trip with the President due to a family emergency, which was members of my household testing positive for COVID-19.”
“Since then,” she continued, “I have quarantined and tested negative (via PCR) for COVID on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. However, today, I tested positive for COVID. 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 for four days after that last contact — I am disclosing today’s positive test out of an abundance of transparency.”
“I last saw the President on Tuesday, when we sat outside more than six-feet apart, and wore masks,” Psaki added. “Thanks to the vaccine, I have only experienced mild symptoms which has enabled me to continue working from home. I will plan to return to work in person at the conclusion of the ten day quarantine following a negative rapid test, which is an additional White House requirement, beyond CDC guidance, taken out of an abundance of caution.”
Psaki’s comment about being transparent is somewhat ironic.
Back in July, after an unnamed White House official tested positive,
Psaki refused to tell reporters how many breakthrough COVID cases had afflicted vaccinated staffers.
As USA Today reported, Psaki “suggested the public did not need that information, even as the U.S. vaccination effort is flagging and COVID cases are surging due to the more contagious delta variant.”
“Why do you need to have that information?” Paski asked the reporter when pressed for the info.
In response, according to USA Today, the reporter noted, for “transparency, in the interest of the public, and a better understanding of how breakthrough cases work here at the White House.”
She still declined to provide the number.
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