“He tested negative on Tuesday and again as recently as this morning,” State Department spokesman Ned Price announced on Wednesday afternoon. "The secretary has not seen President Biden in person for several days, and the president is not considered a close contact according to guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
Blinken, who has been immunized and received a booster shot, “will isolate at home and maintain a virtual work schedule.” His diagnosis comes in the wake of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday, which he attended with his wife, White House Cabinet secretary Evan Ryan, yet the announcement did not indicate when he was exposed to the virus.
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“Secretary Blinken is grateful to the doctors, nurses, and medical staff who provide the State Department workforce with exemplary health services around the world and encourages all Americans who are eligible to get fully vaccinated and boosted in order to protect themselves and their loved ones from developing severe COVID-19 disease,” Price stated.
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It’s not the first time that a coronavirus infection has disrupted Blinken’s schedule. He cut short a diplomatic tour across Southeast Asia in December after a reporter in his delegation tested positive for COVID-19.
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“He looks forward to returning to the Department and resuming his full duties and travels as soon as possible,” Price announced.
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The top US diplomat was in attendance of the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday, which President Joe Biden likewise attended, yet the two haven't noticed each other in many days and Biden is not considered a close contact, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced on Wednesday.
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Price told reporters later in the day that the State Department has "notified those individuals with whom he has been in close contact following CDC guidance" and that Blinken is working with the agency physician "to reconstruct close contacts in the appropriate period."
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"As you know, he was around a number of people this weekend," Price stated in apparent reference to Blinken's attendance at the dinner and related events.
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Blinken, Biden and several top US officials attended the gathering despite concerns that it could prove to be a super spreader event. Psaki announced on Wednesday that the President has not been in close contact with any of the people that have announced positive tests since the dinner.
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