United States Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for Covid. This was announced by the White House, as restrictions in the United States loosen in an attempt to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. Neither President Joe Biden nor First Lady Jill Biden have been in close contact with Harris in recent days, said Vice President’s spokesperson Kirsten Allen. Harris had returned Monday from a week-long trip to the West Coast. The last time she saw Biden was the previous Monday, April 18th. “I have no symptoms and will continue to isolate and follow national protocol guidelines,” Harris tweeted. And she added: “I am grateful that I was vaccinated.” She Now she is being treated with the antiviral Paxlovid.
Harris will isolate himself in his residence but will continue to work remotely. The White House has put in place strict anti-Covid protocols: Biden is checked regularly, and tested negative last time on Monday. “We have a very very contagious variant out there,” said White House Covid coordinator Aashish Jha. “The administration’s goal – he added – is to make sure people don’t get seriously ill.”
After more than two years and nearly a million deaths in the United States, the virus is still killing more than 300 people a day. According to the public health agency, unvaccinated people are at a nine times greater risk of dying than those who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.