WASHINGTON, April 8 – U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has COVID-19 and currently has no asymptomatic syndrome, her spokeswoman said Thursday, after more than a dozen other government officials were tested for it in recent days.
Democratic Alliance leader tested positive for HIV after a negative test result earlier this week, Democratic Alliance spokesman Drew Hammill said in a statement.
“The speaker is fully vaccinated and strengthened, and is grateful for the strong protection provided by the vaccine,” Hammill said, adding that he would isolate himself according to government health guidelines.
President Joe Biden, 79, was tested positive Wednesday night, the White House said.
“The president is not considered to be the closest person to Speaker Pelosi as defined by the CDC. The president saw Speaker Pelosi at White House events and had brief contact during the past two days,” the statement said.
Deputy President Kamala Harris tested positive for the virus on Thursday, a White House official said. Harris’ communications director was tested for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers close contact exposure to COVID-19 within six feet (1.83 m) of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more in a 24-hour period.
Pelosi, 82, stopped near Biden briefly during a signing ceremony to change the post office on Wednesday. He also returned to the White House event on Tuesday with Biden and former President Barack Obama.
The delegation’s delegation to Asia Pelosi planned to lead it was postponed, Hammill said.
The Chinese government said on Thursday it would take strong action if Pelosi visited China in Taiwan, China, in response to reports he planned to go to.
Pelosi is second in line for president, after Harris. Attorney-General Merrick Garland was tested for HIV on Wednesday and had no symptoms, the Department of Justice said.
The House continues to allow remote voting so that lawmakers can vote in private.