Nancy Pelosi tests positive for Covid-19, a spokesman says

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“After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic,” Pelosi’s Deputy Chief of Staff Drew Hammill tweeted. “The speaker is fully vaccinated and refreshed and is grateful for the robust protection the vaccine provides.”

Pelosi, the top House Democrat, is 82 years old. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, Pelosi is second only to the Vice President in the line of succession to the President.

Hammill announced Pelosi’s positive test result just before Pelosi was scheduled to hold her weekly press conference with reporters, which was canceled. He also said a planned congressional delegation to Asia, to be led by Pelosi during the two-week congressional recess, “is being postponed to a later date.”

Hammill said Pelosi is currently asymptomatic. He added that Pelosi tested negative earlier this week.

Pelosi was seen at the White House Wednesday alongside President Joe Biden as he signed a comprehensive law overhauling the finances of the US Postal Service and allowing the agency to modernize its service. The GP told CNN that participants must have a negative test within 24 hours of the post-event on Wednesday.

The White House said Biden was not close to Pelosi. The White House also said the president tested negative Wednesday night as part of regularly scheduled tests and that Biden continues to be tested regularly.

Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, who also serves as Deputy Democratic Speaker of the House, Joaquin Castro of Texas, Gregory Meeks of New York, Adam Schiff of California, Derek Kilmer of Washington, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Scott Peters of California all gave announced their positive test results this week.

Covid is also impacting officials in Washington beyond the legislature. Two members of Biden’s cabinet tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced their positive diagnoses after attending the Gridiron Club’s elite dinner in Washington on Saturday. Other attendees, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ communications director Jamal Simmons and the president’s sister Valerie Biden Owens, have also announced positive tests.
the set of positive cases drew attention in Washington to the Gridiron Dinner, an event that brings together some of the city’s most prominent journalists, including from CNN, and the government officials they cover. Participants’ vaccination status was checked, but negative Covid-19 tests were not required for participation.

This isn’t the first time it has been reported that someone in close proximity to Pelosi has tested positive for Covid.

Last month Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, known as Taoiseach, tested positive for Covid while attending a gala in Washington, DC. A photo from the event showed Pelosi sitting next to Martin at the gala.

In July 2021, a senior staff member in Pelosi’s office tested positive for Covid.

This story was updated Thursday with additional developments.

CNN’s Allie Malloy, Paul LeBlanc, Jasmine Wright, and Sam Fossum contributed to this report.

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