US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tests positive for Covid-19

US Secretary of State Anton Blinken tested positive on Covid-19 on Wednesday and has “mild symptoms,” according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

His diagnosis marks the latest high-profile Covid infection among attendees at Saturday’s White House Correspondents Dinner (WHCD). The indoor event took place in Washington over the weekend and included the President and First Lady on the guest list.

The State Department statement said Mr Blinken is not considered a close contact of the president, who the White House said Wednesday tested negative. But his diagnosis raises questions about whether the administration’s top officials should attend maskless indoor gatherings, even if vaccinated.

“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken tested positive for COVID-19 via a PCR test this afternoon. The secretary is fully vaccinated and boosted against the virus and has only mild symptoms. He tested negative again on Tuesday and just this morning. The secretary has not seen President Biden in person for several days, and the president is not considered a close contact under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines,” the State Department said.

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