DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tests positive for breakthrough COVID-19 infection – KIRO 7 News Seattle

WASHINGTON – Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, a department spokesman confirmed.

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Mayorkas “tested positive for the COVID-19 virus this morning after performing a test as part of routine pre-trip protocols,” DHS spokeswoman Marsha Espinosa said in a prepared statement.

Espinosa said Mayorkas, who is fully vaccinated, has mild congestion, but he will isolate and work from home while he recovers, NBC News reported.

A New York Times analysis of data from 40 states in August showed that breakthrough infections and hospital admissions are extremely rare, occurring in only 0.1% of hospital admissions and 0.2% of deaths. However, the rate can vary widely. The same data showed that up to 5% of hospital admissions and 6% of COVID-19-related deaths were due to groundbreaking cases in vaccinated people.

Mayorkas was due to travel to Colombia with Foreign Minister Antony Blinken, CNN reported.

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