White House communications director positive on COVID-19 test

WASHINGTON, April 29 (Xinhua) -- White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said on Friday that she had tested positive for COVID-19.

Bedingfield, 40, tweeted she last saw U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday "in a socially-distanced meeting while wearing an N-95 mask."

Biden is not considered a close contact as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the White House official.

"Thanks to being fully vaccinated and boosted, I am only experiencing mild symptoms," Bedingfield wrote.

"In alignment with White House COVID-19 protocols, I will work from home and plan to return to work in person at the conclusion of a five-day isolation period and a negative test," she added.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has exceeded 81 million, with over 993,000 related deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.