File Photo: Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, April 26, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. PA
“The secretary is fully vaccinated and strengthened against the virus and has only mild symptoms,” the department said in a statement.
Spokesman Ned Price said Blinken will no longer deliver the long-awaited speech on China policy scheduled for Thursday.
“He looks forward to returning to the department and resuming his duties and travels as soon as possible,” the statement read.
Blinken has not seen President Joe Biden in person for several days and Biden is not considered a close contact, the State Department and the White House said.
But earlier on Wednesday, Blinken met Swedish Prime Minister Ann Linde at the State Department.
Blinken, who had tested negative the day before, took another test because he was experiencing symptoms after meeting Linde, the State Department said.
Price said all close contacts were notified. Blinken also met with Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard on Tuesday and delivered a speech at the State Department on Latin American policy.
Blinken was among guests who packed into a Washington hotel on Saturday night for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
Trevor Noah, the comedian who introduced Biden, joked that the gala dinner was a “superspreader” event.
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