White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announces she tested positive for Covid-19 after Biden’s trip to Europe

By Sam Fossum

White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday after returning from President Joe Biden’s trip to Europe.

“I last saw the President during a socially distanced meeting yesterday, and the President is not considered a close contact as defined by CDC guidance. I am sharing the news of my positive test today out of an abundance of transparency,” she said in a statement Sunday evening.

Jean-Pierre, 44, added that she is experiencing “mild symptoms” and will work from home until after her five-day isolation period and a negative Covid-19 test.

She had traveled on Air Force One with the President and his team during his four-day stint in Europe to rally the world’s democracies and announce more actions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Ahead of the trip, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced she had tested positive for Covid-19 a second time, also experiencing mild symptoms.

And earlier in March, second gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive for the virus, marking the first known case of Covid-19 among the first or second families since Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office in January 2021.

The President’s last publicly known negative Covid-19 test was Friday, the day he left Brussels for Warsaw.

Inside the White House over the last month, in accordance with federal public health guidelines, officials and visitors have not been required to wear masks or social distance. Visitors are expected to be tested for Covid-19 before attending official White House events.

Covid-19 cases in Washington, DC, have declined since their peak in early January, when the country was facing a wave of Omicron variant cases.

This story has been updated with additional information Sunday.

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