US first lady Jill Biden has tested positive for Covid-19, the White House said on Monday, days before President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to the G20 summit in India.
Biden was administered a test Monday evening and was negative, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
“The president will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms,” she added.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the president was reconsidering his travel itinerary.
The president is slated to attend the G20 which is being held on September 9-10 in New Delhi. Following the summit, Biden has plans to travel to Vietnam.
The first lady travelled with Biden to their Rehoboth home on Saturday after surveying hurricane damage in Florida. The president was in Rehoboth with her until Monday morning.
Highly mutated Covid variant found but pandemic in ‘a different phase’
Highly mutated Covid variant found but pandemic in ‘a different phase’
“She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms,” the first lady’s communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said in a statement. “She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.”
The president and first lady both also tested positive for Covid-19 in 2022, and they each also experienced a rebound case. Their symptoms at the time were mild, and both were prescribed medication.
Biden last month said the White House would request additional money from Congress to fund the next round of coronavirus vaccine shots.
A new “Eris” variant of the virus has become dominant in the United States, and hospitals have reported an increase in cases.
Biden is running for re-election in 2024 in a campaign in which the question about his age has loomed as a key issue for voters.
He is the oldest president to seek a second term, and some Republicans have said he is too old to be given another four years in the White House.
Biden’s allies say he remains fit to serve as president.
Additional reporting by Reuters
