In both cases, the White House declined to identify the staff members who had tested positive, citing privacy rules. Officials said neither Mr. Biden nor Ms. Harris were required to quarantine or restrict their activities because both had received negative tests and neither showed symptoms.
“The vice president will continue with her daily schedule,” Ms. Sanders wrote. “This evening, she will depart Joint Base Andrews for Los Angeles, where she and the second gentleman will remain through the New Year.”
The effort to keep the president and vice president healthy comes as the administration scrambles to confront the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. On Tuesday, Mr. Biden announced plans to make 500 million rapid, at-home tests available for free starting next month.
Rick of exposure to the coronavirus has been a concern at the White House since the beginning of the pandemic. Several senior staff members to President Donald J. Trump became infected last year, and Mr. Trump spent several days in the hospital with the disease.
The Biden White House took more precautions. People who enter the White House are required to be vaccinated, and those who interact with the president or the vice president must be tested beforehand.