Second gentleman Doug Emhoff tests positive for COVID-19

Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Harris, has tested positive for COVID-19, a spokeswoman for Harris said on Tuesday.

The vice president has so far tested negative, said spokeswoman Sabina Singh.

Both Emhoff and Harris withdrew from a scheduled appearances at an Equal Pay Day event this evening at the White House.

Emhoff appeared Tuesday afternoon at the Marvin Gaye Greening Center in Washington helping AmeriCorps members with a community service project in an urban garden and park.

In his remarks at the Equal Pay Day event, President Biden said that the vice president “chose not to take a chance since her husband had contracted COVID, although he’s feeling very well, I’m told.”

Earlier in the day, Harris attended a bill-signing event with President Biden, 79, and a large group of Democratic lawmakers, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy.

The 81-year-old Democrats are respectively second and third-in-line for the presidency, behind Harris.

Later in the day, Harris hosted an event at the White House with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and current and former members of the U.S. women’s soccer team.

The second gentleman has been active in promoting the administration’s pandemic response measures, including travelling the country last year to visit clinics and vaccination sites.

The White House has not released information about whether Emhoff, who has received three doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, is experiencing symptoms.

NPR’s Scott Detrow contributed reporting.

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