Jen Psaki officially returns to White House after testing positive for COVID-19

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki returned to the White House on Friday, 12 days after testing positive for Covid-19.

“While I have not had close contact in person with the President or senior members of the White House staff since Wednesday  and tested negative for four days after that last contact, I am disclosing today’s positive test out of an abundance of transparency,” she said in an Oct. 31 statement announcing her positive test.

Psaki had been scheduled to travel with President Joe Biden two weeks ago on his trip to Europe for G-20 meetings and a United Nations climate change summit, but cancelled her appearance due to a “family emergency.”  Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre traveled instead. 

Psaki later noted in her statement that she did not go because several members of her family had tested positive for Covid.

“I had intended to go on the trip with the president about two weeks ago. I did not go on the trip because I had members of my household who tested positive for Covid. So out of an abundance of caution, I stayed home,” she said in a White House press briefing Friday.

Psaki said she had not met with the president for five days when she tested positive and that they “wore masks and we were sitting outside.”

Psaki experienced mild Covid-19 symptoms which she referred to as “primarily fatigue.”  Psaki said she “fortunately” does not have any lingering symptoms and was able to continue working remotely.