Jen Psaki tests positive for COVID-19 as Biden is set to depart for Europe

This is the second time Psaki has tested positive since October.
Jen Psaki, Washington, D.C., June 21, 2021
By Sophie Mann

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time since October. 

Psaki's positive test arrives as President Joe Biden prepares to leave on a trip to Europe. Psaki is not considered a close contact of Biden's, and the president tested negative this morning. 

"Today, in preparation for travel to Europe, I took a PCR test this morning. That test came back positive, which means I will be adhering to [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)] guidance and no longer be traveling on the President’s trip to Europe," Psaki said in a statement.

Psaki met twice with the president on Monday, though she says both interactions were socially distanced. 

"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," said Psaki.

On Wednesday, the president is expected to depart for Europe where he will meet with NATO forces and European allies in Brussels and visit Poland, which has accepted more than 2 million Ukrainian refugees since Russian's invasion just under one month ago.