The court stated that Kavanaugh, who has been fully vaccinated on Thursday night, had a positive test. His immediate family has tested negative for symptoms and the justice was not ill.
Kavanaugh was subject to a routine Covid testing Thursday in preparation for Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s investiture ceremony on Friday. He will not be attending the ceremony because of his health, the court stated.
He was positive for coronavirus and will not be sitting on Monday’s bench, which marks the beginning of the new term. This would also mark the beginning of an in-person session between all nine justices.
Kavanaugh will “participate in next week’s oral arguments remotely” from his home, the court stated in separate statements Friday.
According to that statement, Barrett was “tested negative by all the other Justices, Justice Kennedy included, in advance of today’s investiture”.
Kavanaugh, along with other justices, had just tested negative for Covid-19. This was ahead of their meeting behind closed Doors to discuss which cases should be added. On Wednesday, he participated in the ACLI Capital Challenge 3 mile race in Anacostia Park, Washington.
After being forced to argue by telephone, the justices intend to return to courtroom this term to hear oral arguments.
Sessions won’t be open to the public, but the live audio feed will continue as a staple of telephonic oral arguments.
CNN reported that Barrett had contracted coronavirus in the summer of last year. She felt “a bit under the weather” but was able to recover.
