Washington — President Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, the White House confirmed Wednesday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that Mr. Biden tested positive earlier in the day after an event in Las Vegas. He was poised to address the annual conference of the Hispanic civil rights and advocacy group UnidosUs, but its president, Janet Murguía, announced that he would no longer be able to attend.
Jean-Pierre said the president is vaccinated and boosted and is experiencing mild symptoms.
“He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” she said. “The White House will provide regular updates on the President’s status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.”
Mr. Biden’s doctor said in a note distributed by the White House that he had upper respiratory symptoms Wednesday afternoon, including a runny nose and a “non-productive cough.” The doctor said Mr. Biden’s respiratory rate, temperature and pulse oximetry are all normal, and the president received a first dose of Paxlovid.
Though Mr. Biden “felt okay” for his first event in Nevada, he was tested for COVID after not feeling better, the note read.
The president told reporters before departing Las Vegas, “I feel good.”
The president arrived in Nevada on Monday for a series of events aimed at reaching core constituencies as he battles calls from within the Democratic Party to withdraw from the presidential race following his startling performance at the first presidential debate on June 27. Mr. Biden participated in an interview with BET’s Ed Gordon on Tuesday and delivered remarks at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas.
His schedule Wednesday included another full slate of events, including a radio interview with Univision and the remarks at the UnidosUS annual conference.
Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, announced ahead of Mr. Biden’s scheduled remarks that she spoke with the president and learned of his COVID diagnosis.
“Regrettably, I was just on the phone with President Biden and he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon,” she said. “The president has been at many events as we all know and he just tested positive for COVID.”
Murguía said the president relayed that “we’re not going to get rid of him that quickly,” and said the group will have a chance to hear from him in the future directly.
The president was set to return to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, later in the evening, though that return has been moved up.
Source Agencies
