
A press videographer who was traveling with President Ashraf Ghani'sdelegationtestedpositiveforCOVID-19, claims the Congress's Office of Attending Physician on Friday. Ghani is in Washington this week for a round of meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and congressional leaders, as the last UStroops prepare to leaveAfghanistan.
The videographer was not inside the meeting with congressional leaders, but had attended a photo op by Ghani and the House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a source familiar with the situation said.
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"It was our understanding that everybody in thedelegationwas vaccinated," the source said. The US military has completed more than half of its withdrawal fromAfghanistan and is set to finish within weeks.
Fighting between UStroops and the Taliban have escalated since April when Biden announced the withdrawal. The Pentagon estimates the Taliban now controls 81 ofAfghanistan's 419district centres.
Lawmakers have expressed concern about how women will be treated if the Taliban seizes control after the UStroop withdrawal. "We look forward to having a conversation about how we strengthen our relationship through humanitarian assistance," USHouse of Representatives" Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in remarks before the meeting.
Between 600 and 700 troops are likely to remain in the country to provide security for diplomats, officials say.