Had Came To The White House, US Vice President Kamala Harris Positive For COVID-19: Had Booster Twice, Now Isolating

US Vice President Kamala Harris. (Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore)

JAKARTA - United States Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday but is asymptomatic, a spokeswoman said, at a time when there has been an increase in cases among White House staff.

Vice President Harris has not been in close contact with President Joe Biden or first lady Jill Biden because of their travel schedule, her press secretary, Kirsten Allen, said.

Allen added that Vice President Harris will undergo isolation and return to the White House when the test results are negative.

After consulting with his doctor, Harris was prescribed and taken the antiviral drug Paxlovid, Allen said, cited from Reuters, April 27.

A senior administration official said Vice President Harris came to the White House on Tuesday but left before meeting Biden.

Infections have been increasing in parts of the United States due to the highly contagious subvariant Omicron BA.2, even as cases have decreased overall, according to public health officials.

In recent weeks, a number of figures in the White House have been announced to be infected with COVID-19. Prior to Vice President Harris, Doug Emhoff's husband also tested positive for COVID-19. Next up were Harris' communications director, Jamal Simmons, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, and deputy Karine Jean-Pierre.

Other top officials who tested positive this month include US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, next in the line of presidential succession after Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.

Government officials recently said President Biden's regular contact with advisers and supporters could expose him to COVID-19. However, the government wanted to project a sense of normalcy as many Americans returned to work and socializing with friends and family, they said.

Both President Biden and Wapes Harris are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have received two booster shots. They have in recent weeks mingled with unmasked guests at the White House, including a 200-person event with former President Barack Obama, to talk about typical Democratic healthcare laws.