On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tested positive for COVID-19, exhibiting minor symptoms, and would be isolating himself at home, completing his work online.
“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken tested positive for COVID-19 this afternoon by PCR test,” according to a press release from the US Department of State. “The Secretary has been properly immunised and boosted against the virus, and she is only suffering moderate symptoms.” “On Tuesday, he tested negative, and he tested negative again this morning,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Secretary of State Blinken “has not met President Biden in person for many days, and the President is not considered in close contact according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rules.”
“In compliance with the CDC standards and in conjunction with the Department’s Bureau of Medical Services,” the statement stated, adding that Blinken “looks forward to returning to the Department and resuming his full duties and travel as soon as possible.”
Secretary of State Blinken expressed gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and medical staff who provide exemplary health services to the State Department workforce around the world, and he encouraged all Americans who are eligible to get fully vaccinated and boosted in order to protect themselves and their loved ones from developing severe COVID-19 disease, according to the statement.
Blinken is the latest high-profile administration official to test positive in recent weeks and months. Vice President Kamala Harris said last month that she had caught the virus, while in March, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki cancelled her plans to accompany the President to Belgium and Poland after testing positive for Covid-19 for the second time, according to CNN.
