White House Communications Director tests positive on Covid-19 test

Washington, April 30 (IANS) White House Communications Director, Kate Bedingfield has said she had tested positive for Covid-19.

Bedingfield, 40, tweeted she last saw US President Joe Biden on Wednesday "in a socially-distanced meeting while wearing an N-95 mask".

Biden is not considered a close contact as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the White House official.

"Thanks to being fully vaccinated and boosted, I am only experiencing mild symptoms," the White House Communications Director wrote.

"In alignment with White House Covid-19 protocols, I will work from home and plan to return to work in person at the conclusion of a five-day isolation period and a negative test," she added.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in the United States has exceeded 81 million, with more than 993,000 related deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, Xinhua news agency reported.