Vice President Kamala Harris Tests Positive For COVID-19

Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, her office announced.

She took both rapid and PCR tests to confirm her status, according to her office, which noted that she is experiencing no symptoms and has not been in recent close contact with either President Joe Biden or the first lady.

The vice president has been fully vaccinated and then boosted twice, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation for people over age 50.

Harris’ press secretary, Kirsten Allen, confirmed on Twitter that the vice president is currently taking Paxlovid, Pfizer’s antiviral medicine that combats COVID-19. 

“Today, after consultation with her physicians, the Vice President was prescribed and has taken Paxlovid,” Allen said.

In a tweet, Harris said she was “grateful to be both vaccinated and boosted.”

She will return to the White House when she tests negative.

Earlier this month, Harris’ communications director, Jamal Simmons, tested positive for the coronavirus. Harris’ office said the staffer was in “close contact” with the vice president and that Harris was following guidance from the CDC and would continue with her public schedule.  

Harris’ communications director was one of a slew of high-profile people in Washington political circles who tested positive after attending the Gridiron Dinner — including Attorney General Merrick Garland and Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Joaquin Castro (D-Texas). The dinner is hosted annually by the Gridiron Club and Foundation, one of the oldest journalistic organizations in the nation’s capital.

Last month, second gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive for the coronavirus, but Harris didn’t test positive at the time.

The highly contagious omicron BA.2 subvariant of the virus has been spreading in the U.S., but total COVID cases have fallen dramatically since a major winter spike. Vaccination continues to provide the best protection against severe hospitalization and death from the virus.

Andre Ellington contributed reporting.