White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Tuesday that she tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time in five months.  In preparation for traveling with President Biden to Europe, Psaki said she took a polymerase chain reaction test Tuesday morning, which was positive. Per guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Psaki will no longer be traveling with Biden.

Psaki said in a statement:  “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.”  This is the second time Psaki has tested positive for COVID-19; in October 2021, she announced she tested positive after members of her household came down with the virus.

Since Psaki said she had two socially distanced meetings with Biden on Monday, he also was tested for the virus, which was negative via a PCR test taken on Tuesday morning.  Biden plans to travel to Brussels for a NATO summit Thursday, before heading Friday to Poland to speak with President Andrzej Duda.

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