US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday afternoon, the State Department said.
Blinken, who is fully vaccinated and boosted against the coronavirus, “is experiencing only mild symptoms,” said a statement by the State Department quoted by NBC News.
The top diplomat has not seen President Joe Biden in person for the past several days, and is not considered a close contact to Biden, the statement stressed.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken “will quarantine at home, he will follow [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines.
“I know he very much looks forward to returning to the office, returning to his full schedule, and returning to the road just as soon as he is able to do so,” Price added.
Blinken’s positive test comes one day after US Vice President Kamala Harris returned to in-person work for the first time since testing positive for the virus last week.
The White House announced Harris' positive result last Tuesday. Several days later, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield also tested positive for the virus and said she was only experiencing mild symptoms.
In December, Harris tested negative for COVID-19 after she came in close contact with a staff member who had tested positive for the virus.
Several high profile Americans have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. In late September, State Department spokesperson Ned Price tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing symptoms.