US media reports, citing the White House, say President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 while visiting Las Vegas on Wednesday and is self-isolating after experiencing mild symptoms.
Business Standard (BS) reports that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the positive test for the 81-year-old Democrat after Biden cancelled a speech due to the diagnosis.
“He is vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms,”' Jean-Pierre said.
The White House said Biden planned to spend a long weekend at his Delaware beach house. It was unclear how long the sickness would keep him for the campaign trail.
The illness comes at a crucial time for Biden, who has been losing ground in battleground states against Republican Donald Trump, who is headlining a triumphant convention this week after he survived an assassination attempt on Saturday.
CNN says it’s unclear where and when the president contracted Covid-19. But the sudden diagnosis will place him behind closed doors at a time when Democratic lawmakers have been clamoring to see him out front.
Despite Biden’s diagnosis, Vice President Kamala Harris was set to keep her Thursday appearance at a campaign event in Fayetteville, North Carolina, as planned, according to CNN.
CNN reports that according to a memo from President Biden’s physician, Biden has received multiple Covid-19 vaccine booster shots, most recently in September 2023.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Covid-19 levels across the country have risen in recent weeks. The most recent data reportedly shows that during the week ending July 6, there was a 23.5% increase in emergency visits for Covid-19 compared with the previous week. The CDC also reports that the viral activity level for Covid-19 in wastewater is high nationally as of July 6.
