White House deputy press secretary tests COVID-19 positive

March 27 (UPI) -- White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre who traveled with President Joe Biden during his recent trip to Europe said Sunday evening that she has tested positive for COVID-19.

Jean-Pierre said she took the test Sunday afternoon after returning from the trip to the United States and it came back positive.

She said she is sharing news of her positive test "out of an abundance of transparency."

"Thanks to being fully vaccinated and boosted, I have only experienced mild symptoms," she said in a statement. "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."

Jean-Pierre had accompanied the president during his trip that began Thursday but she said he is not considered a close contact as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance after they last saw saw one another during a socially distance meeting on Saturday.

Jean-Pierre's test result follows White House press secretary Jen Psaki testing positive for COVID-19 early last week.

A number of measures are taken by the White House to prevent Biden from contracting the virus, and Psaki told the press earlier this month that before anyone meets the president they are tested beforehand.

"Everyone has different testing cadences, depending on their frequency of seeing him," she said.