The Biden campaign said Thursday that Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will be suspending her campaign travel until Sunday, October 18, because two people involved in the campaign, Harris’ communications director, Liz Allen, and a non-staff flight crew member have tested positive for COVID-19.
Both received their positive tests late Wednesday night.
“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 for President Campaign Manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement.
According to a campaign aide, Harris has had no in-person contact with Allen since October 8, when Harris traveled to Arizona to campaign with Democratic nominee Joe Biden the day after her debate with Vice President Pence. Allen, who has traveled with Harris on every campaign stop since Harris joined the ticket, was also in Arizona. It’s unclear how close she was to Biden during the event. According to the campaign, on the flight back to Washington, D.C., Harris and the two individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 all wore N95 masks, and Harris was, “not within six feet for more than 15 minutes with either of them.” Harris and her staff took separate cars from Biden while they were in Arizona.
Harris, who was taking a brief break from the campaign trail to participate in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, had just announced a packed campaign schedule, with upcoming trips to North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. She was expected to campaign in Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday.
Harris has taken two PCR tests since October 8, and all the tests have been negative. She received her latest negative test a day ago, on Wednesday, October 14.
Her husband, Doug Emhoff, has also cancelled campaign events in Iowa Thursday but plans to hit the trail again on Friday.
Ed O’Keefe contributed to this report. This story was originally published by CBS News on Oct. 15, 2020 at 10:50 a.m.
