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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the latest in a number of cases among the nation’s top officials in recent days.
Pelosi, who is 82, has no symptoms and is fully vaccinated as well as boosted, her spokesperson Drew Hammill said in a tweet.
“After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic,” Hammill said. “The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided. The Speaker will quarantine consistent with CDC guidance, and encourages everyone to get vaccinated, boosted and test regularly.”
Her positive test result comes amid a growing number of cases among the top officials in Washington, including the attorney general and commerce secretary, after many gathered for an elite dinner gala on Saturday.
Pelosi had been present at two events with President Joe Biden at the White House earlier this week before testing positive.
In a statement, the White House said it does not consider Biden a “close contact” with Pelosi under CDC guidance due to the limited duration of their encounters. He tested negative Wednesday night.
“The President saw Speaker Pelosi at White House events and had brief interactions over the course of the last two days,” the White House said in a statement. “He will continue to be tested regularly. The President wishes Speaker Pelosi a speedy recovery.”
The California Democrat is the latest – and highest-ranking – prominent Washington, D.C., figure to test positive for COVID-19 in recent days.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, all announced Wednesday they had tested positive for the virus on Wednesday. All but Clark had attended the Gridiron Dinner, a high-profile D.C. media event. Pelosi was also not in attendance at the dinner.
