December 22, 2021: -On Monday, President Joe Biden tested negative for Covid, days after he was in close contact with an aide who would eventually test positive for the virus, the White House said.

Press secretary Jen Psaki said that he would be tested on Wednesday again in a release.

In November, Biden, who turned 79, was the oldest man ever elected. He is in good health, his doctor said in a recent report. The President is also fully vaccinated and boosted.

“As CDC guidance does not require fully vaccinated people to quarantine after an exposure, the President will continue with his daily schedule,” Psaki said.

The White House announcement came soon after new data revealed that the highly transmissible omicron variant of Covid had become the most dominant strain of the virus. According to research, vaccinated and boosted people are generally protected against severe illness if they contract omicron.

The aide, whom Psaki described as a “mid-level staffer,” received a positive test result Monday morning. On Friday, this person spent about 30 minutes near the President on Air Force One from South Carolina to Philadelphia, according to Psaki.

She added that the person, who is vaccinated and boosted, had tested negative for Covid ahead of the Air Force One flight and did not experience symptoms by Sunday.

As part of his testing regimen, Psaki said, Biden received an antigen test Sunday, adding that he tested negative then.

On Monday, a mid-level staff member who does not regularly contact the President received a positive result for a COVID-19 test.  Three days earlier, that staff member had spent almost 30 minutes in proximity to the President on Air Force One, on the way from Orange, South Carolina to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This staff member is completely vaccinated, boosted, and tested negative before boarding Air Force One, required for everyone traveling with the President. This staff member did not experience symptoms until Sunday and was tested on Monday. 

Others on Air Force One who were in close contact with this staff member are being contacted and advised to get tested per CDC guidance.

The President is tested regularly.  The President received an antigen test Sunday and tested negative as part of that regular testing.

After being notified of the staffer’s positive test this morning, the President went through a PCR test and tested negative. On Wednesday, he will be tested again. 

As CDC guidance does not require fully vaccinated people to quarantine after exposure, the President will continue with his daily schedule.