Irish Prime Minister Tests Positive For COVID-19 After Meeting With Biden

The fabled luck of the Irish was in short supply for Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who tested positive for COVID-19 during a visit to Washington, D.C.

What Happened: Martin learned of his positive test result during last night’s Ireland Funds Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, where he briefly interacted with President Joe Biden. Both men were masked during their interaction, whereas Martin sat maskless next to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and singer/songwriter Carole King when Biden delivered his remarks during the gala.

Martin’s scheduled in-person meeting with Biden slated for today will instead be a virtual gathering. Martin was also forced to cancel an appearance at the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon at the U.S. Capitol, which Biden is slated to attend, and a reception at the White House taking place this evening.

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What Happens Next: A spokesperson for the Irish government said Martin was self-isolating at Blair House, located across the street from the White House, and was feeling well.

The White House will go forward with a St. Patrick’s Day-focused reception planned for Thursday evening without Martin. White House press secretary Jen Psaki reported the president’s most recent COVID test was on Sunday, which came back negative.

This is the second time COVID interrupted Martin’s plans to meet in person with Biden — his 2021 St. Patrick’s Day meeting was held virtually due to pandemic. This might be his last chance to meet Biden as a head of state because his term as prime minister expires in December.

Photo: Micheál Martin, courtesy of COP26 / Flickr Creative Commons