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Vice President Kamala Harris was in close contact “throughout” Tuesday with a staff member who tested positive for COVID-19.
Harris and the aide were in “close contact” under CDC guidelines, enhancing the likelihood of transmission, the veep’s spokeswoman Symone Sanders said in a statement Wednesday.
Harris was scheduled to receive the classified President’s Daily Brief with Biden around 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Oval Office. It’s unclear if the Harris aide was in the room.
White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on whether Biden also was in close contact with the person.
“On Wednesday morning, a staff member who staffed the Vice President throughout the day Tuesday received a positive test result for COVID-19,” Sanders said.
“Yesterday, Monday and every day last week, this staff member tested negative for COVID-19. This staff member is fully vaccinated and boosted and did not experience symptoms. Others who were in close contact with this staff member are being contacted and will be advised to get tested per CDC guidance.”
Sanders said Harris tested negative for COVID-19 on Wednesday using both a rapid antigen and then a more-accurate PCR test.
“As CDC guidance does not require fully vaccinated people to quarantine after an exposure, the Vice President will continue with her daily schedule,” Sanders said. “This evening, she will depart Joint Base Andrews for Los Angeles where she and the Second Gentleman will remain through the New Year.”
Harris, 57, and Biden, 79, both received vaccine “booster” shots, reducing the chance they will contract the highly contagious Omicron variant, which is driving spikes in infections in New York City, DC and other areas of the country.
But even assiduous mask-wearers who had received a booster shot — including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) — have fallen ill in recent days.
Biden is the oldest-ever president and his health frequently is a matter of public concern. The coronavirus disproportionally kills elderly people.
In the past few weeks, a parade of White House staffers and reporters have tested positive for the virus. A White House staffer flew with Biden aboard Air Force One on Friday before testing positive on Monday.
Biden received a negative PCR result on Wednesday, the White House said.
A different White House aide tested positive Thursday after attending a White House Correspondents’ Association party Tuesday and at least two reporters have attended briefings with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki shortly before receiving positive PCR results — resulting in a large number of empty seats at recent briefings.
Pfizer said this month that preliminary research indicates that the company’s COVID-19 vaccine works against the Omicron variant, especially after three doses.
Follow the latest news on the Omicron variant with the New York Post’s live coverage
Pfizer said that three doses give people the approximate level of protection as two doses did against the original coronavirus strain. Two doses of the company’s vaccine were about 95 percent effective against transmission of the original strain.
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