Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tests positive for coronavirus

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks at the launch of the I-15/Tropicana Interchange Construction Project on May 31 in Las Vegas. (Christopher Devargas/AP)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Monday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Buttigieg said he is experiencing mild symptoms, joining large numbers of Americans who continue to contract the virus as precautions wane and people seek a return to normalcy in the pandemic’s third year.

Buttigieg has been crisscrossing the country to promote the infrastructure law that President Biden signed last year, while making frequent media appearances, speaking on issues as varied as gun violence and supply chains.

Buttigieg traveled last week to Michigan, where he attended a state policy conference and met Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and other elected leaders. He also appeared in Saginaw to discuss investments in freight rail and supply chain improvements.

Buttigieg, a father of two young children, joins a growing list of Cabinet members and Washington officials who have contracted the virus. Last week, the Interior Department said Secretary Deb Haaland had tested positive and had mild symptoms.

Buttigieg tweeted Monday that he plans to work remotely, while isolating in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said he looks forward “to when I can safely return to the office and the road.”

I have tested positive for COVID-19 and am experiencing mild symptoms. I plan to work remotely while isolating according to CDC guidelines, and look forward to when I can safely return to the office and the road.

— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) June 6, 2022