White House hasn't disclosed past breakthrough COVID cases

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The White House has not disclosed past breakthrough cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated staff members, although none of the cases have occurred among commissioned officers, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed during Tuesday's press briefing.

Psaki's comments came after a White House official confirmed Tuesday that a fully vaccinated White House official tested positive for the virus off campus, although the White House Medical Unit determined the individual had no close contacts among White House principals and staff. The breakthrough case comes as multiple members of a Texas delegation to Washington, D.C., tested positive, despite being fully vaccinated. After meeting with members of the Texas delegation, a fully vaccinated spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tested positive as well, according to Pelosi's deputy chief of staff.

Psaki confirmed to CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe that there have been other breakthrough cases in the White House that were not previously disclosed. She emphasized that the Biden team has committed to disclosing positive tests of commissioned officers, and told CBS News Radio White House correspondent Steven Portnoy that none of the breakthrough cases were among commissioned officers. A commissioned officer is an assistant to the president, deputy assistant to the president, or special assistant to the president.

Psaki declined to say how many breakthrough cases have occurred among unvaccinated individuals, and it is unclear whether the cases before Monday's case have been symptomatic or asymptomatic.

Former President Trump's White House was consistently criticized for failing to disclose positive cases of COVID-19 before the vaccine was available, often leaving it up to reporters to disclose cases.