Vice President Kamala Harris speaking during the infrastructure announcement at the AFL-CIO on December 16, 2021.
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Vice President Kamala Harris speaking during the infrastructure announcement at the AFL-CIO on December 16, 2021.
Alex Wong / Getty Images
An employee with close contact with Vice President Kamala Harris this week tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday morning, the White House announced. Harris tested negative via PCR for the virus on Wednesday and will be tested again in the coming days.
“The Vice President is tested regularly. As part of that routine screening, the Vice President received an antigen test this morning and was negative,” the White House said in a statement. .
“Earlier today, after being notified of the employee’s positive test result, the Vice President received a PCR test and the result was negative. She will be tested again the following Friday. again on Monday in accordance with CDC guidelines.”
Harris will continue with her daily schedule and will depart for her home state of California late Wednesday, there for the rest of the New Year.
Harris’s employee is The White House’s second closest contact to test positive for the virus this week. On Monday, the White House said an employee who recently traveled on Air Force One with President Biden also tested positive for COVID-19.
Biden negative test for the virus most recently on Wednesday.
Both the president and vice president are fully vaccinated against the virus and have also been healthy.
The exposure occurred as cases increased in the US
The White House coronavirus cases come as the United States is entering another viral outbreak, fueled by delta and omicron variations.
The coronavirus pandemic, which in March will mark its second year in the United States, has affected the holiday plans of many Americans.
While more than 204 million people In the United States fully immunized against the virus, about 40% of the population is not.
Speaking on Tuesday about the growing threat omicron variation poses, especially to the unvaccinated, Biden emphasized a more resolute tone than he has in the past, setting out a future. obscure for eligible Americans who still refuse to get vaccinated.
“We should all be worried about omicrons but not panic. If you’re fully vaccinated and especially if you’ve had your booster shot, you’re highly protected. And if you’re unvaccinated. , you are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19, hospitalization, and even death,” he said.
“Look, the unvaccinated are responsible for their own choices. But those choices have been fueled by dangerous misinformation on cable TV and social media.” , he said, refer to Information campaign against vaccines has been kept in the right media space.
“You know, these companies and individuals are making money selling lies and allowing disinformation that can kill their own customers and their supporters.”
One December NPR . Analysis found that people living in counties that voted heavily for former President Donald Trump in 2020 are nearly three times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those living in areas that support Biden.
Trump, who developed this vaccine, reacted slowly to the coronavirus crisis and ultimately leaned toward falsehoods about the virus, its spread, and the officials in charge of assisting with containment. epidemic.
This week, Trump announced that he had received a booster shot against the virus. His supporters booed.
