Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly canceled a holiday party amid concerns that he may have been exposed to COVID-19.
CNN confirmed the Wednesday decision through a review of an internal schedule, and the Washington Post spoke to two officials familiar with the matter.
The department has hosted hundreds of diplomats and dignitaries for indoor celebrations in recent days.
“Secretary Pompeo has been identified as having come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID,” a State Department spokesperson said. “For reasons of privacy we can’t identify that individual.”
The spokesperson added that Pompeo tested negative and that “in accordance with CDC guidelines, he will be in quarantine.” The date of Pompeo’s possible exposure was not specified.
While internal guidance to staff at the department said the event was canceled, according to the Washington Post, a memo to those invited informed them that it was postponed “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the State Department for clarification on the matter but did not immediately hear back.
On Tuesday, Pompeo was slated to speak at a holiday party hosted in honor of the diplomats that have to leave their families behind due to the danger of their postings. Nine-hundred people were invited to attend. The Washington Post reported that less than 70 people showed up. Pompeo’s speech was canceled, and a substitute speaker was brought in.
The White House has hosted a number of holiday parties, while other departments, like the Pentagon, have opted for virtual gatherings.
About 50 people with close ties to the White House have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. On Dec. 4, Jenna Ellis, a lawyer for the president, attended a senior staff Christmas party at the White House. On Dec. 8, multiple outlets reported that Ellis was informing associates that she had tested positive for the virus. Only two days prior, word got around that Rudy Giuliani had tested positive.
Over 16.8 million cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the United States, according to the New York Times. COVID-19 has taken the lives of just under 306,000 people in the country.
