- Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin had contact with Biden before testing positive for COVID-19.
- The two leaders, however, did not have close contact as defined by the CDC.
- Martin's office said they were exploring "alternatives" to his scheduled in-person events.
President Joe Biden came into contact with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin before the Irish leader tested positive for COVID-19, the Washington Post reported.
Martin received his positive test results at an Ireland Funds National Gala where Biden was also present, but White House officials told the Post that the two leaders did not have close contact, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define as being within six feet of a person for a cumulative 15 minutes.
The Taoiseach's positive test threw cold water on his St. Patrick's Day plans, which included a 10:30 am meeting with Biden in the Oval Office and the yearly St. Patrick's Day Friends of Ireland lunch hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Capitol Hill.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki joked in her Tuesday briefing that the Taoiseach's visit with Biden, who is Irish-American, was going to be the "best day of the year."
Martin's office said in a statement that the Taoiseach was feeling well and isolating, and that his team was "exploring alternatives to the in-person programme of events."
The White House updated Biden's schedule on Thursday morning to make Biden and Martin's scheduled bilateral meeting a virtual instead of an in-person event.
President Barack Obama, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and a number of House Democratic lawmakers who attended a policy retreat in Philadelphia over the weekend have also tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.