U.S. health secretary Becerra tests positive on Germany trip

President Joe Biden’s top health official tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the latest member of his Cabinet to be infected with the virus.

U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra tested positive while visiting Berlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said. Becerra, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, was experiencing mild symptoms.

HHS spokeswoman Sarah Lovenheim said he will continue to work in isolation in Berlin.

Becerra was last at the White House last Thursday. He is not considered a close contact of Biden.

Becerra was in Berlin for a meeting of health ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy nations on May 12-13. The meeting’s focus is on drawing lessons from the coronavirus pandemic, protecting the vulnerable and unvaccinated from COVID-19, and how to ease the strain on health systems.