Blinken tests positive for Covid, State Department says

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Blinken tests positive for Covid, State Department says

WASHINGTON Secretary of State Antony Blinken has tested positive for Covid, the State DepartmentState Department said Wednesday.

Blinken is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is experiencing mild symptoms, the State DepartmentState Department said. He tested negative Wednesday morning before testing positive and will isolate himself at home, the State DepartmentState Department said.

The President is not considered close contact with Biden, according to the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Blinken hasn't seen Biden in person for several days.

Biden was last tested negative for Covid on Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Blinken attended the White House Correspondents'White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night, as well as other events around Washington tied to the dinner, which was held in a large hotel ballroom with more than 2,000 attendees. The number of reporters who have tested positive has been increasing in the past few days.

Attendees at the dinner were required to show proof of vaccination as well as a negative Covid test, though other events over the weekend required only proof of vaccination.

Blinken was expected to speak Wednesday at a U.N. refugee agency event at the Kuwaiti embassy.