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Biden's spokeswoman Covid positive on eve of Europe trip

Jen Psaki, who had two socially-distanced meetings with the US president, says Biden tested negative

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Joe Biden’s chief spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said on Tuesday she has tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time, but that the US President was negative.

The press secretary said she had held two socially-distanced meetings with Biden, who is vaccinated, a day earlier.

However, “the president tested negative today via PCR test,” she said in a statement, adding that Biden, 79, is “not considered a close contact” as defined by the top US health agency.

As a result of the test Psaki will not travel with the White House team on Wednesday to Europe for NATO and EU summits on the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and to another summit in Poland.

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It is the second time she has had to cancel a high-profile foreign trip due to Covid.

She also tested positive in October last year, after deciding not to travel to Europe with Biden when members of her family contracted the virus.

Psaki said she had mild symptoms, for which she credited the Covid-19 vaccine, and said she was working from home.

She planned to return to work in person at the end of a five-day isolation period and a negative test.

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