WASHINGTON: United States President Joe Biden, 81, has tested positive for COVID-19, confirmed the White House on Wednesday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the positive test after the president of Unidos-US, a Latino civil rights organization, stated that Biden would not be able to speak at a scheduled event due to the diagnosis.
“He is vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms,” Jean-Pierre added.
Minutes after the announcement, the president’s motorcade was seen moving from a radio interview taping in Las Vegas to the Las Vegas airport. The president was returning to Delaware to self-isolate, according to the White House.
Biden had just greeted a couple of dozen people at a Mexican restaurant before going behind closed doors for the interview. When Biden was late for the start of the UnidosUS event, the organizer announced he had tested positive.
Biden spent two nights in Vegas on the campaign trail.
Biden is currently facing criticism from some fellow Democrats who worry he is too old to seek re-election and want him to step aside for another candidate.
Earlier in the day, Biden suffered a setback when a prominent Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Adam Schiff of California, said it was time for Biden to “pass the torch” to someone else.
“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,” said Jean-Pierre.
