Energy & Environment

Haaland tests positive for COVID-19

by Rachel Frazin 06/01/22 05:00 PM ET

FILE - Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaks during a Tribal Nations Summit during Native American Heritage Month, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, on Nov. 15, 2021, in Washington. The Biden administration says it is canceling three oil and gas lease sales scheduled in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska. That will remove millions of acres from possible drilling as U.S. gas prices reach record highs. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the Interior Department.

A department statement said she tested positive after experiencing “mild symptoms.” She last tested negative on Monday during a White House visit and was not in close contact with President Biden.

Haaland is fully vaccinated and was boosted twice. She is isolating and the department said she’s confident she will make a “swift recovery.”

The official canceled her planned travel to the West Coast and is working remotely.

In a tweet, Haaland said she felt “fine” and encouraged the public to stay up-to-date on their vaccines.

“I feel fine and am grateful to be fully vaccinated and twice boosted. I hope everyone stays current on their vaccinations so that, if they are exposed, they too will have milder symptoms,” she wrote.

— Updated at 5:18 p.m.