In a Monday statement, the US Department of Transportation confirmed that its secretary, Pete Buttigieg, will quarantine for 14 days after an unidentified member of Buttigieg's security detail tested positive for COVID-19 Monday morning.
"Secretary Buttigieg underwent routine PCR testing for COVID-19 this morning and COVID-19 was not detected, nor has the secretary showed any symptoms," read the statement.
— Sam Mintz (@samjmintz) February 8, 2021
"Secretary Buttigieg will take any necessary steps to ensure there is no spread, including quarantining for a period of 14 days, and will continue to follow all other CDC guidelines," the statement added, noting that the Transportation Secretary received his first vaccine dose in recent weeks.
The Department of Transportation has also "initiated contact tracing protocols" for any staff members that may have been in contact with the exposed individual.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anyone who is exposed to someone with COVID-19 should self-quarantine for 14 days; it can take up to 14 days after exposure to the virus to develop symptoms.
"A negative result before [the] end of the 14-day quarantine period does not rule out possible infection. By self-quarantining for 14 days, you lower the chance of possibly exposing others to COVID-19," the CDC outlines on its website.
"The best way to protect yourself and others is to stay home for 14 days if you think you’ve been exposed to someone who has COVID-19. Check your local health department’s website for information about options in your area to possibly shorten this quarantine period," the CDC adds.
Buttigieg was tapped by US President Joe Biden as the head of the US Transportation Department in November.
"The first openly gay major presidential candidate in American history, and one of the youngest ever to win a state primary or caucus, Buttigieg is a barrier-breaking public servant from the industrial Midwest with a track record of trailblazing, forward-thinking executive leadership," the Biden administration said in a statement at the time.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) February 2, 2021
Buttigieg was officially confirmed by the US Senate as Transportation Secretary last week.
