Sen. Kamala Harris has announced that she will cancel her upcoming travel plans due to recent positive COVID-19 tests within her campaign. The pause on travel was taken “out of an abundance of caution” and will last through the weekend.
Thus far, the campaign has reported two positive tests. A member of her flight crew and her communications director have reportedly contracted the virus. However, the campaign has reported that Harris had not come in contact with either person in the two days prior to their positive tests. Moreover, neither of the individuals who tested positive have come in contact with former Vice President Joe Biden either.
“Senator Harris was not in close contact, as defined by the CDC, with either of these individuals during the two days prior to their positive tests; as such, there is no requirement for quarantine,” Biden Campaign Manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said.
Prior to the two positive COVID-19 tests, Harris was scheduled to travel to Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina on Thursday. She was also scheduled to travel to Cleveland, Ohio on Friday.
In addition to Biden and Harris, Harris' husband Doug Emhoff will also suspend travel for the time being. However, Emhoff did not come in contact with either person who tested positive and is expected to return to the campaign trail this weekend.
“These protocols help protect the campaign, the staff, and anyone who they may have contact with; the importance of having such protocols -- which include testing before resuming duties, regular testing while working in-person, isolation after time off, and masking and distancing while on campaign duties -- have been illustrated once again,” O'Malley Dillion said.
Since reports of the first pair of positive COVID-19 tests emerged, campaign staffers have been tested and all results have come back negative thus far. If Harris and her staff continue to test negative, she will return to the campaign trail at the beginning of next week.
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