White House communications director Kate Bedingfield tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday morning.
“This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19. I last saw the president Wednesday in a socially-distanced meeting while wearing an N-95 mask, and he is not considered a close contact as defined by the CDC,” Bedingfield wrote on Twitter.
White House communications director tests positive for COVIDhttps://t.co/Wg5bXxmfXv
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 29, 2022
Bedingfield also said that she is only experiencing mild symptoms, “thanks to being fully vaccinated and boosted.”
“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 added.
This comes after Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday amid the White House Correspondents Association dinner this weekend.
“Today, Vice President Harris tested positive for COVID-19 on rapid and PCR tests,” said Harris press secretary Kirsten Allen in a statement. “She has exhibited no symptoms, will isolate and continue to work from the Vice President’s residence.”
“She has not been a close contact to the President or First Lady due to their respective recent travel schedules. She will follow CDC guidelines and the advice of her physicians. The Vice President will return to the White House when she tests negative,” the statement added.
Harris had not participated in any meetings at the White House on Tuesday and she had not seen President Joe Biden since April 18—only speaking with the president on the phone.
“He [Biden] wanted to check in and make sure she has everything she needs as she quarantines at home,” the White House said.
Biden was able to attend the event on Saturday despite Harris’ absence since he is fully vaccinated and double-boosted, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
“Obviously, this weekend, he’ll be attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” Psaki said during a press briefing earlier this week. “It’s an opportunity to honor the work of all of you and many of your colleagues and to talk about the importance of journalism in the world.
“That’s an event he’s attended many times in the past, and he made a decision, through consultations, that it was an event he could attend and wanted to attend again,” she added.
