Uh-oh!
On Thursday (April 7), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s chief of staff, Drew Hammill, announced that Pelosi had tested positive for COVID-19.
In a statement, Hammill revealed Pelosi’s diagnosis, adding that Pelosi had not shown any symptoms associated with the disease.
In a tweet, Hammill said, “After testing negative this week, Speaker Pelosi received a positive test result for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic. The Speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted, and is thankful for the robust protection the vaccine has provided.”
Hammill continued, saying Pelosi would quarantine consistent with the CDC’s guidelines.
Just a day before, on Wednesday, Pelosi was at the White House appearing alongside President Joe Biden at the signing of a Postal Service reform bill.
Thursday’s news came as reporters had gathered at Pelosi’s weekly press conference, causing reporters to scramble to be the first to break the news of her diagnosis.
Her positive test also comes as the White House will take an 18-day break ahead of the Easter holiday.
Pelosi’s diagnosis is also likely to throw a wrench in her unconfirmed trip to Taiwan. While Hammill didn’t confirm whether Pelosi had plans to go to Taiwan, he acknowledged that the “planned Congressional delegation to Asia” would be postponed to a yet-to-be-confirmed date.
Pelosi’s positive test also comes as Democrats are beginning to lift the stringent COVID-19 measures they promoted and implemented as Omicron cases recede; one such measure — the relaxing mask mandate around the Capitol — was implemented by Pelosi a day before the SOTU.
However, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters on Tuesday (April 5), two days before Pelosi’s diagnosis that “This pandemic is not over.”
Hoyer added, “We’re still having people die, we’re still having people get sick… And we can’t take our eye off the ball in making sure that we continue to help.”
