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Biden tests negative for COVID-19 after close contact

Biden
Posted at 5:17 PM, Dec 22, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-22 17:17:17-05

President Joe Biden's latest COVID-19 PCR test came back negative, according to a statement from the White House Wednesday.

Biden, who is regularly tested, took another test Wednesday after a staffer tested positive for the virus.

Biden was in close contact with that staffer on Air Force One on Friday, press secretary Jen Psaki said.

At the time, the White House said the staffer was not experiencing symptoms and had tested negative prior to the flight.

Biden, 79, is fully vaccinated and has received a booster shot.

The president has warned that fully vaccinated individuals may still contract the virus as the omicron variant spreads. He noted, however, that boosted individuals are less likely to face severe disease or be hospitalized.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, unvaccinated people are 20 times more likely to die from the virus than vaccinated people.