President Biden tests positive for COVID-19
President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the White House.
A statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms. He has begun taking Paxlovid."
White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said the president is tired, has a runny nose, and a dry cough. Jha reported he went to bed Wednesday night feeling fine but didn’t sleep well and tested positive Thursday morning.
Jean-Pierre said he will isolate at the White House and carry out his duties fully during his quarantine.
He had been scheduled to travel to Pennsylvania Thursday to deliver a speech on crime prevention.
White House staffers plan to provide a daily update on the President’s condition.
Biden is 79 and the second U.S. President to get the virus while in office. Former President Donald Trump tested positive in October 2020.