WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Democratic House lawmaker Cedric Richmond, a close adviser to President-elect Joe Biden, has tested positive for coronavirus, the Biden transition team said Thursday.

Biden is not considered a close contact of Richmond based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, said the transition team.

Richmond traveled to southern U.S. state of Georgia with Biden for campaign events on Tuesday. Their interactions "happened in open air, were masked and totaled less than 15 consecutive minutes, the CDC's timeframe for close contact," it said.

Biden tested negative for coronavirus on Thursday, according to a news report from The Hill.