WASHINGTON — White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan tested positive on Saturday for COVID-19, according to the White House.
Sullivan typically has frequent contact with President Joe Biden but last was in contact with the president early in the week, according to a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Sullivan had been keeping his distance from Biden after “a couple” of people he had been in close contact with had tested positive for the virus, the official said.
Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokeswoman, said Sullivan “is asymptomatic and he has not been in close contact with the president.”
The White House confirmed on Thursday that Biden had tested negative that day. White House officials did not immediately respond a request for comment on whether Biden has been tested more recently.
Earlier in the week, Biden's chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci and U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra tested positive for the virus. The administration said both had mild symptoms and were not in close contact with the president.
Val Lick contributed to this report.
