Psaki says there have been cases of earlier breakthrough among White House staff

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“There have been. I will say that we, under an agreement we made during the transition to be transparent and make information available, we have committed to proactively release information if it is about commissioned officers, “Psaki said when asked if there had been other cases of breakthroughs among White House staff.

A “commissioned officer” of the White House is any public servant who has a version of “assistant to the president” in his title. According to a July report to Congress on White House personnel, there are more than 130 personnel at this level.
CNN reported earlier on Tuesday that a White House official and a senior official in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both of whom are fully vaccinated, have tested positive for Covid-19. Axios was the first to report the breakthrough cases.

Psaki then clarified that the White House official who tested positive was not a commissioned officer, but declined to say which office the official worked in, citing confidentiality concerns. None of the other positive cases was a commissioned officer either, she said, explaining that the White House would have proactively released this information.

Psaki declined to say how many revolutionary cases have been recorded or what level of staff is affected.

She also confirmed the case reported on the file earlier Tuesday.

“Yesterday, a fully vaccinated White House official tested positive for Covid-19 off campus. In accordance with our rigorous Covid-19 protocols, the official remains off campus pending the confirmatory PCR test,” Psaki said.

She said the White House medical unit had conducted contact tracing interviews and “had not determined any close contact, between White House directors or staff or the president.”

Psaki said the official was showing “mild symptoms”.

“We know there will be breakthrough cases. But as this incident shows, cases in vaccinated individuals are generally mild. The White House is prepared for breakthrough cases with regular testing. This is another reminder of the ‘effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines against serious illness or hospitalizations, ”she said.

She added: “Our protocols meet the highest standards of advice from our public health experts,” noting that those around and meeting with the president are subject to “regular testing” and follow the advice of the Centers for Disease Control. and Prevention in the United States. on the wearing of the mask and the distancing.

Staff have also been urged to self-monitor and stay off the White House campus if they develop symptoms.

Psaki also declined to characterize a trip by House Democrats from Texas to Washington as a “super spread event” now that several officials in contact with the group have tested positive for groundbreaking infections.

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