The White House communications director confirmed Friday that she has tested positive for COVID-19.
Kate Bedingfield tweeted that she received the positive test result on Friday morning.
This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19. I last saw the President Wednesday in a socially-distanced meeting while wearing an N-95 mask, and he is not considered a close contact as defined by the CDC.
— Kate Bedingfield (@WHCommsDir) April 29, 2022
She last met with President Joe Biden on Wednesday. The communications director said they were in a socially distanced environment while wearing N-95 masks.
Bedingfield said Biden is not considered a “close contact,” as defined by the CDC.
The health agency defines a close contact as “anyone who was less than 6 feet away from you for a combined total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.”
Bedingfield said on Twitter that she is only experiencing mild symptoms and is vaccinated and boosted.
She will continue to work from home for the next five days and will need a negative COVID-19 test before she returns to the White House in person.
Bedingfield’s diagnosis comes two days after Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for the virus.
Harris, who is also vaccinated and boosted, is still quarantined.
According to the White House, the vice president was not in close contact with Biden before testing positive.