Delta goes to Washington, infects vaccinated Capitol staffers

Multiple White House staff members and an aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have tested positive for the pandemic coronavirus despite being fully vaccinated, Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed in a White House press briefing Tuesday.

The confirmation came after reports that the Pelosi staffer and one White House official tested positive after they attended the same reception at a DC hotel last Wednesday, according to a report from Axios. Additionally, the Pelosi staffer was in contact with a delegation of Texas Democrats who had come to the US Capitol last week in an effort to thwart a GOP voting bill. Six of the more than 50 Texas Democrats have since tested positive for the pandemic coronavirus.

The infected Pelosi staffer had not been in direct contact with the speaker recently, and the infected White House official had not been in direct contact with the president recently, Axios reported. In the press briefing Tuesday, Psaki said there had actually been multiple breakthrough infections among vaccinated staff at the White House, but she did not provide a tally of cases or a timeline for their infections—though she said she would check on additional information about the cases. She noted that the White House is prepared for such infections, which are typically mild or asymptomatic. The latest White House official and the Pelosi staffer are said to be mildly symptomatic.