President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19, the White House says.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said that Biden would be “returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.”
He caught it while campaigning in Las Vegas, Nevada and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said.
The statement said that Biden is vaccinated and boosted and will self-isolate in Delaware while carrying out “all of his duties fully.”
“I tested positive for COVID-19 this afternoon, but I am feeling good and thank everyone for the well wishes,” Biden said in a post to X.
“I will be isolating as I recover, and during this time I will continue to work to get the job done for the American people. Biden told reporters after stepping off Air Force One in Delaware on Monday night that he’s “doing well,” according to a White House pool report.
The president’s doctor said he had a runny nose, cough and malaise, or discomfort, but that he felt OK during his first event of the day.
After he did not feel better, he was tested for Covid-19. The doctor said via the White House statement that Biden’s respiratory rate and oxygen levels are normal and he has been given his first dose of Paxlovid.
The president has been hitting the campaign trail hard with events in Las Vegas, including a speech at the NAACP convention on Tuesday and multiple radio interviews.
He was scheduled to give a keynote address at the national conference of UnidosUS, a large civil rights organization focused on Latinos, on Wednesday.
But 90 minutes after his scheduled appearance, UnidosUS president Janet Murguía went on stage to apologize for the delay and explain Biden’s absence.
“He said to tell my folks that we’re not going to get rid of him that quickly. We’re going to have a chance to hear from him in the future directly,” Murguía said.
