Year-end party attended by Pompeo, US Secretary of State, contacts confirmed COVID-19 case

Voice test confirmed... Self-quarantine planned
Official announcement by State Department spokesperson

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, who was hosting a grand year-end party, tested negative for COVID-19 but is expected to enter self-quarantine.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the 16th (local time), the State Department stated in a spokesperson's statement that Secretary Pompeo had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 and that he himself tested negative.

The State Department explained that Secretary Pompeo will enter self-quarantine according to the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and that the State Department medical team is closely monitoring him.

However, the State Department did not disclose the identity of the infected person with whom Pompeo had contact.

Pompeo held a party inviting 900 people the day before, ignoring warnings from health authorities. According to The Washington Post, a significant number of those invited did not attend the party.

Pompeo was also scheduled to give a speech at this party but did not attend, raising questions about the reason. It is interpreted that his absence was due to close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Despite the worsening COVID-19 situation, Pompeo caused controversy last week by hosting a large-scale year-end party inviting diplomatic envoys, including Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuk to the U.S.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.