The United States President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Las Vegas. The 81-year-old Democrat is self-isolating after experiencing mild symptoms, according to the White House.
Biden was set to deliver a speech to a Latino civil rights group, UnidosUS, when the organizer announced he had tested positive for COVID. He had greeted a couple of dozen people at a Mexican restaurant prior to the radio interview and was running late to deliver the speech.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the positive test for the 81-years old democrat after Biden cancelled a speech due to the diagnosis on Wednesday, saying the president was vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms.
“He would isolate at his home in Delaware while carrying out all of his duties fully,” she said.
Biden suffered a blow earlier on Wednesday when a prominent Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Adam Schiff of California, said it was time for him to “pass the torch” to someone else. Some 40% of Democratic registered voters said Biden should drop his reelection bid, and some 65% of independent registered voters agreed with them.
The White House cited Biden’s doctor as saying he had been suffering from upper respiratory symptoms earlier in the afternoon.
“He felt OK for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus,” the statement said.
The white house said Biden will be self-isolating in accordance with Centers for Disease Control guidelines and has received an initial dose of Paxlovid.
Biden’s last bout with COVID began in July 2022. He tested positive on July 21, recovered on July 27, tested positive with a rebound case on July 30 and was finally cleared on Aug 7.
