Vice President Kamala Harris has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House announced Tuesday.
Harris has exhibited no symptoms and will isolate at home.
“She has not been a close contact to the President or First Lady due to their respective recent travel schedules,” the White House said. “She will follow CDC guidelines and the advice of her physicians. The Vice President will return to the White House when she tests negative.”
Her office said Tuesday night that she was taking Paxlovid, an antiviral drug which reduces the risk of COVID hospitalization by 90%.
Harris spent last week in California, and returned to Washington Monday night, so she had not met with President Biden in person in recent days.
Like Biden, Harris had been cautious about the virus, masking indoors and minimizing large gatherings. The White House dropped most of those precautions this spring, and since then, has seen several cases, amid a larger uptick in Washington, D.C.
Harris’ positive test does have one immediate short-term political ramification: the Senate is rescheduling at least one nomination vote set for Tuesday because she wouldn’t be available to break a 50-50 tie.
