White House spokeswoman Psaki tests positive for COVID-19 -statement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday and will not travel to Europe this week with U.S. President Joe Biden, who tested negative in a PCR test, she said in a statement.

Psaki said she was tested in preparation for travel with Biden on Wednesday to Belgium and Poland, where the president will meet with U.S. allies over the Russia-Ukraine war. She said she is experiencing mild symptoms.

“I had two socially-distanced meetings with the President yesterday, and the President is not considered a close contact as defined by CDC guidance. I am sharing the news of my positive test today out of an abundance of transparency,” Psaki said in a statement.

Psaki last tested positive for the coronavirus on Oct. 31. She said she will work from home and plan to return to the White House “at the conclusion of a five-day isolation period and a negative test.”

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Doina Chiacu; writing by Rami Ayyub; editing by Susan Heavy; Editing by Aurora Ellis)