Biden tests positive for COVID-19

Kelsey Vlamis,Brent D. Griffiths
·2 min read
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  • President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19, the White House said.

  • Biden was set to speak at the UnidosUS conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

  • He's experiencing mild symptoms, according to a statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the White House.

"Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is vaccinated and boosted and he 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," Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement provided to Business Insider. "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."

The White House also provided a note from Biden's doctor that said the president tested after having a runny nose, cough, and general malaise. The note said Biden was experiencing mild symptoms and that his respiratory rate, temperature, and blood oxygen levels were normal. It also said he had received a first dose of Paxlovid.

Biden, 81, has been in Nevada since Monday night and was set to speak at a conference for UnidosUS in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Janet Murguía, CEO of UnidosUS, told conference attendees that Biden tested positive for COVID-19 after the president was an hour and a half late to his planned speaking event, according to CNN.

"I was just on the phone with President Biden. And he shared his deep disappointment at not being able to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events, as we all know, and he just tested positive for COVID," Murguía said at the conference.

Biden departed Nevada, a key battleground state for the election in November, on Air Force One on Wednesday, telling reporters at the scene, "I feel good," according to the Associated Press.

Read the original article on Business Insider