State Department reports its first case of COVID-19 in DC at annex office

The State Department reported its staff’s first case of COVID-19 in Washington, D.C., according to an email sent to staff obtained by CNN.

The person who contracted the virus reportedly worked at an annex building in Washington, D.C., but not the department’s headquarters in Foggy Bottom, a neighborhood of the city. 

“Today, we learned of our first case of someone who works in a domestic annex in Washington, DC,” the email from Under Secretary for Management Brian Bulatao read, according to CNN.

Although this was the first confirmed case of the virus for the State Department in the nation’s capital, Bulatao added that since the outbreak began, a “small number” of State Department staff abroad have tested positive for the virus. On Tuesday Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said a “handful” of State Department employees have tested positive for the coronavirus.

As of Thursday evening, there are a total of 40 confirmed cases in D.C. 

The State Department did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Hill.