World News | Blinken Tests Positive for COVID; Has Mild Symptoms
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The State Department said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner and related events over the weekend.
Washington, May 5 (AP) The State Department said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner and related events over the weekend.
Spokesman Ned Price said Blinken tested positive in an OPCR test on Wednesday afternoon. Price said Blinken is fully vaccinated and is experiencing only mild symptoms.
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Blinken tested negative Tuesday and again earlier Wednesday morning. Blinken has not met in person with President Joe Biden for "several days" and is not considered a close contact of the president.
He met earlier Wednesday at the State Department with the Swedish foreign minister. Blinken had been scheduled to give a speech on Thursday about the Biden administration's China policy, but Price said that speech has been postponed.
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Price said Blinken would isolate at home and work virtually until the quarantine period is over.
He is the latest Biden administration figure to test positive. Vice President Kamala Harris was cleared to return to to the White House on Tuesday after testing positive last week. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)