WASHINGTON - Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for Covid on Tuesday, her office said.
Harris has exhibited no symptoms and will isolate herself from her residence, according to her spokeswoman Kirsten Allen. Allen said she will return to the White House once she has received a negative test.
Harris, who is vaccinated from Covid, has not been in close contact with President Joe Biden or first lady Jill Biden, Allen said.
Harris is the highest ranking official in the Biden administration to test positive for the virus, after a string of infections over the past several weeks, as a new omicron subvariant has resulted in an increase in cases in certain parts of the country.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack were among the dozens of attendees at the annual Gridiron Dinner who tested positive for Covid earlier this month. Doug Emhoff was the second man to have Covid in March.
Chris Murphy, D-Conn. and Ron Wyden, D-Ore, also tested positive Tuesday. With Democrats holding a razor-thin margin in the Senate and Harris holding the tie-breaking vote, any nominees Democrats had planned to vote on this week could be in jeopardy.
Harris was in California last week, leaving Washington following the Easter Egg roll last Monday. She had limited public events during the California visit, which included a fundraiser, and returned to Washington Monday night.
Rapid and PCR tests gave a positive result.
Harris received her second Covid booster shot April 1 and her first COVID-19 booster shot in October.