"Seven members of the travelling and advance staff who accompanied Deputy Secretary Hicks on her domestic trip last week have tested positive for COVID-19," Kirby said in a statement. "All staff members who tested positive are quarantined, in keeping with CDC guidelines."
Deputy Secretary Hicks and members of her personal staff have tested negative, Kirby added.
On 14-15 December, Hicks visited the Department of Defence sites in Hawaii and met with the US Indo-Pacific Command to discuss the US strategy in the region.
The news comes as the United States is experiencing a new surge in COVID-19-related infections, hospitalizations and deaths amid the growing prevalence of the Omicron variant. On Wednesday, the CDC said the number of new coronavirus cases was up by a quarter as compared to last week and reached nearly 150,000 per day.