Psaki Tests Positive For COVID Hours Before Biden’s Big Europe Trip

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tested positive for COVID-19, she announced in a statement Tuesday.

Psaki noted she took a test “in preparation” for the administration’s trip to Europe. President Joe Biden is slated to travel to Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday to attend an extraordinary NATO Summit and a European Council Summit regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He’s then scheduled to head to Warsaw, Poland on Friday.

Psaki said she attended “two socially-distanced meetings with” Biden on Monday and added he is “not considered a close contact as defined by CDC guidance.” The press secretary’s positive COVID test means she won’t travel with Biden to Europe.

Just Now: Psaki says she tested positive for COVID today & won’t be traveling to Europe tomorrow w/ the president.

POTUS “is not considered a close contact” and tested negative today, per Psaki ⬇️ https://t.co/oZxDdXyOZm

— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) March 22, 2022

“I am sharing the news of my positive test today out of an abundance of transparency,” Psaki said in her statement, adding that she is experiencing “mild symptoms.”

“The President tested negative today via PCR test,” Psaki added.

Psaki previously tested positive for COVID-19 in October 2021. That positive test also came just before Biden was slated to travel overseas. (RELATED: More Texas Democrats Who Fled State Test Positive For COVID)

Earlier in March, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive for COVID-19. Biden wasn’t considered a close contact of Emhoff, either. Vice President Kamala Harris altered her schedule following the positive test “out of an abundance of caution,” deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said at the time.