Mike Pompeo in quarantine after contact with Covid-positive person

Secretary of state was scheduled this week to meet with his successor, Antony Blinken, who will lead the department under President-elect Joe Biden

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has gone into quarantine after reported contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, the State Department said in an announcement on Wednesday morning. 

Officials said the secretary of state had tested negative for the novel virus, responsible for more than 300,000 deaths in the US since the outbreak began earlier this year, but was self-isolating after coming into contract with an unidentified infected person..

The State Department said in a statement: “Secretary Pompeo has been identified as having come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID. For reasons of privacy we can’t identify that individual.”

The statement continued to indicate that Mr Pompeo would be “closely monitored” by the State Department’s medical staff.

Mr Pompeo was scheduled to meet on Thursday with Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden’s choice to succeed him at the State Department when he takes office next month.

The secretary was also due to attend President Donald Trump’s Cabinet meeting on Wednesday before it was reported he was going into quarantine. 

Mr Pompeo has been traveling across the globe and hosting events with world leaders, while simultaneously planning a large indoor holiday gathering with the families of diplomats, according to a new report.

The secretary invited as many as 900 people to a party hosted by he and his wife, Washington Post reported this week, and only about 70 of those people accepted the invitation.

Even less showed up to the party, the report said, at which Mr Pompeo was scheduled to speak. He reportedly cancelled his talk and instead was replaced by someone else at the last minute.

Additional reporting by Associated Press