Attorney General Merrick Garland tests positive for COVID-19

The news comes hours after Garland participated in a press conference.

ByEmily Shapiro
April 6, 2022, 2:37 PM

Attorney General Merrick Garland tested positive for COVID-19 via antigen tests Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Justice said.

"He asked to be tested after learning that he may have been exposed," the DOJ said in a statement.

The news comes hours after Garland participated in a press conference alongside multiple other top law enforcement officials, including FBI Director Chris Wray.

PHOTO: Attorney General Merrick Garland during a press conference at the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, April 06, 2022.
Attorney General Merrick Garland during a press conference at the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, April 06, 2022.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Garland, who is vaccinated and boosted, doesn't have any symptoms, the statement said.

The attorney general is one of several prominent officials to test positive after attending Saturday's Gridiron dinner in Washington, D.C.

PHOTO: Attorney General Merrick Garland is flanked by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and FBI Director Christopher Wray, during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., April 6, 2022.
Attorney General Merrick Garland is flanked by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and FBI Director Christopher Wray as he arrives to announce enforcement actions against Russia, during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., April 6, 2022.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, all attended Saturday's event and have all tested positive for COVID-19 this week.

Garland will work virtually while isolating at home, and the DOJ will conduct contact tracing, the statement said.

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