On Thursday morning, the Biden campaign announced that two members of Sen. Kamala Harris’ staff, including Communications Director Liz Allen, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday evening. Campaign officials state that Harris has not been in “close contact” with either of the two staffers for a period of at least two days prior to the positive test result. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that means she is not required to self-quarantine. However, out of an abundance of caution, scheduled campaign stops from Thursday through Sunday will be converted into virtual events. Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, will also cancel an event scheduled for Thursday.
Both Harris and Joe Biden have tested negative as of Wednesday. It’s expected that scheduled campaign events will resume on Monday, Oct. 19.
The two staffers who tested positive had reportedly stepped away from the campaign temporarily to attend personal events, and tested positive before returning to the campaign. There is currently no indication that Biden, Harris, or any other staffers were exposed in this incident. That campaign is conducting contact tracing to notify everyone who may have come into contact with either of the staffers. It’s worth noting that—unlike the Trump campaign—this information was made available to the media promptly, and the campaign is taking appropriate steps to protect both staff and the public.
