President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Las Vegas, the White House announced on Wednesday.
The diagnosis comes at a crucial time, as the 81-year-old Democrat faces mounting pressure from within his own party to reconsider his re-election campaign.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre revealed the positive test result shortly after Biden cancelled a scheduled speech.
According to Jean-Pierre, the President is experiencing mild symptoms and is currently self-isolating.
Jean-Pierre said, “He is vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms.”
Reuters reports that Biden boarded Air Force One to depart Las Vegas to recuperate in Delaware.
Biden told reporters: “Good, I feel good.” But he climbed the stairs slowly, holding the railing tightly and pausing a few steps in and again towards the top.
Biden’s illness strikes at a critical juncture, as he trails Republican Donald Trump in key battleground states. Trump is celebrating a successful convention this week after surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday. The White House announced that Biden plans to spend a long weekend at his Delaware beach house, but it remains uncertain how long his illness will keep him off the campaign trail.
However, minutes after the announcement, the president’s motorcade was on the move to the Las Vegas airport after taping a radio interview in the city.
Before his radio interview, Biden greeted a couple of dozen people at a Mexican restaurant.
He was running late to deliver a speech to Latino civil rights group UnidosUS when the organiser, Janet Murguia, announced he had tested positive for COVID.
There were groans in the conference room at the news.
“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,” Murguia said.
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.
His symptoms are mild and he has received an initial dose of Paxlovid, the doctor said.
Meanwhile, 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 August 7.
