According to people familiar with the issue, a White House aide who attended international summits with Joe Biden in Europe last week tested positive for coronavirus infection before the president returned to the US.     

Because of transmission concerns, the aide and some of Biden’s other travelling staff stayed in Scotland after the president visited the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, according to the Hindustan Times’ sources. It’s unknown how many people were involved. 

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According to a White House official, the aide is in quarantine in Scotland and awaiting a follow-up PCR test. They  aren’t thought to have had any direct and close contact with the president.

Biden himself tested negative, as per the official’s statement Thursday evening.  

According to the sources, the aide works for the National Security Council. The official said,  all staff members who had contact with the aide have tested negative so far. They were meant to go back to Washington on Air Force One or a support plane with Biden, but have since returned on different government aircraft. 

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Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, was scheduled to accompany Biden but had to cancel due to family members contracting COVID-19.

Officials don’t think the NSC aide’s illness is tied to Psaki’s, several people familiar with the matter said.

Because the White House has not publicly disclosed the positive case in Europe or any actions taken to prevent further transmission, the people familiar with the matter spoke on the condition of anonymity. 

Psaki has stated that the White House will make infections among Biden’s “commissioned officers” public, which normally refers to senior aides with the title “assistant to the president”.  Psaki is a part of this group.

On Thursday night, the White House refused to disclose whether the aide is a commissioned officer. According to his spokesperson, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tested positive for Covid-19 while attending the COP26 summit in Glasgow. 

Before running for re-election last November, former President Donald Trump was widely criticised for his White House’s efforts to conceal the magnitude of a coronavirus outbreak among his staff.