Justice Kavanaugh positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON – Justice Brett Kavanaugh tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated, the Supreme Court said Friday.
The court said the 54-year-old justice has no symptoms.
It’s the first time the court has reported that a sitting justice has tested positive for the virus, although Amy Coney Barrett had COVID-19 last year before she joined the high court.
Kavanaugh was the only one of the nine justices to skip Friday’s ceremonial swearing-in for Barrett, an event that itself was delayed nearly a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
All the justices were tested in advance of the ceremony. They also had been tested before they met in private on Monday to discuss adding additional cases to their docket. All were negative then, the court said.
It’s unclear whether Kavanaugh will attend the opening of the court’s new term Monday, when the justices will return to the courtroom to hear arguments after an 18-month absence because of the pandemic. Oral arguments scheduled for October, November and December will be in the courtroom but those sessions will not be open to the public. The public will continue to be able to listen to live broadcasts of the arguments.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people without symptoms self-isolate for 10 days after a positive COVID test. Kavanaugh took his test and was informed of the results on Thursday, the court said.