US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards his aircraft as he departs for Kuala Lumpur from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta on Dec 14, 2021. (OLIVIER DOULIERY / POOL / AFP)

KUALA LUMPUR - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cut short his Southeast Asia visit on Wednesday due to a COVID-19 case in his traveling party, an official said, in an abrupt halt to a trip aimed at boosting ties in the region.

Blinken was due to hold meetings in Thailand on Thursday before making the return to Washington and the decision was taken in light of a positive case among the traveling press corps, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

Blinken and senior officials had tested negative on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, when the positive case was confirmed, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said

Blinken and senior officials had tested negative on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, when the positive case was confirmed, Price said, and Blinken had called his Thai counterpart to express his deep regret.

ALSO READ: Blinken back to Africa in bid to drive wedges

"He explained that in order to mitigate the risk of the spread of COVID-19 and to prioritize the health and safety of the US traveling party and those they would otherwise come into contact with, the Secretary would be returning to Washington DC out of an abundance of caution," Price said in a statement.

The halt to the trip will be a setback for the United States, which had sought to shore up ties with a region that had become uncertain about US commitment after a period of perceived neglect under former President Donald Trump.

In an address to a university in Indonesia on Tuesday, Blinken laid out a US strategy for the Indo-Pacific that sought to boost investment and economic ties and offer infrastructure commitments and closer ties in defense and diplomacy, as well as a strengthening of treaty alliances and partnerships.

READ MORE: Wang, Blinken discuss ties ahead of leaders' virtual summit