White House press secretary Jen Psaki positive for COVID-19

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Xinhua) -- White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday she has tested positive for COVID-19.

Psaki, in a statement, announced that she took a PCR test in the morning as part of the preparation for travel to Europe with U.S. President Joe Biden.

"That test came back positive, which means I will be adhering to CDC guidance and no longer be traveling on the President's trip to Europe," she said.

Biden tested negative Tuesday via a PCR test, according to the statement.

Psaki also revealed she had "two socially-distanced meetings" with Biden on Monday and that she's sharing the news of her positive test "out of an abundance of transparency."

The CDC, which stands for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, defines close contact as someone who is less than 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from an infected individual for more than 15 minutes.

"Thanks to the vaccine, I have only experienced mild symptoms," Psaki continued. "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."

The White House chief spokesperson previously tested positive for COVID-19 in October ahead of Biden's trip to Europe for a climate summit.

The latest positive result for her came one day before Biden is set to leave for Brussels for meetings with NATO and European allies to discuss the Ukraine situation.

The United States has reported more than 79 million COVID-19 cases and 972,000 deaths, both the highest in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Public health experts have warned that the United States may see another rise in COVID-19 cases in the next few weeks, as the new Omicron subvariant continues to spread across the nation while restrictions are being lifted in states and cities.