Joe Biden tests COVID negative after close contact with positive White House staff member

President Joe Biden underwent a COVID-19 PCR test after he "spent approximately 30 minutes in proximity" with a White House staffer who contracted COVID-19 last week. However, the US President has been reported to have tested negative for the novel Coronavirus, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Monday. As a part of the routine, Biden will be tested again on Wednesday.

In a press statement, Psaki informed that the "mid-level" staff member received a positive result for a COVID-19 test, about three days after he was in close contact with the President on Air Force One. He was a part of a delegation travelling from Orangeburg, South Carolina to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The "fully vaccinated and boosted" staff member tested negative before boarding the Air Force One flight with the President. Nevertheless, he began to experience symptoms from Sunday and was tested on Monday, Psaki added.

"This morning after being notified of the (White House) staffer's positive test, the President recieved a PCR test and tested negative. He will be tested again on Wednesday," Psaki said in a statement released by the White House on Monday.

Abiding by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fully vaccinated and boosted President Biden will not require quarantine after exposure, and will continue with his daily schedule, Psaki said, citing CDC's advisory.

Meanwhile, others on Air Force One who were in close contact with the infected staff member are being contacted and will be advised to get tested as per CDC guidelines.

The news comes weeks after doctors in November evaluated the physical health condition of the 79-year-old and concluded that he "remains fit for duty".

The news of the White House staff testing positive for the COVID virus comes after Senators Elizabeth Warren, Lindsay Graham, Roger Wicker, Angus King and John Hickenlooper felt "under the weather". All of them tested positive despite being fully vaccinated and boosted.

Omicron "dominant" in America: CDC

Recently, US CDC declared the Omicron variant "dominant" over the COVID-19 Delta variant, representing 73% of the genome sequencing cases. As of December 19, the US reported as many as 72,470 new cases with a seven-day average of 1,32,851 daily cases, says data compiled by John Hopkins University.

California tops the list with 52.2 lakh infections, with Texas, Florida and New York following with 44.4 lakh, 37.7 lakh and 29.8 lakh COVID-19 cases respectively. Last week, the US clocked 8 lakh COVID-related deaths, citing which Biden urged citizens to remain vigilant and get their due two-dose regimen and booster shots.

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