US secretary of state tests positive for COVID-19

Xinhua | Updated: 2022-05-05 06:47

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In this file photo taken on May 2, 2022 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens during a signing ceremony with Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at the State Department in Washington, DC. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tested positive May 4, 2022 for Covid-19 and will shift to a virtual work schedule, the State Department said.[Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, a State Department spokesman said.

Blinken tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday afternoon via a PCR test, Ned Price, the spokesman, said in a statement.

Blinken was fully vaccinated and boosted against the virus, and "is experiencing only mild symptoms," he said.

Price said that in accordance with the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in consultation with the State Department's Bureau of Medical Services, Blinken "will isolate at home and maintain a virtual work schedule."

According to Price, Blinken has not seen US President Joe Biden in person for several days.

Blinken was originally scheduled to deliver a speech on US strategy toward China at George Washington University in Washington, DC, on Thursday. It's not clear whether, or in what ways, changes will be made regarding the arrangement of the event.

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