Jill Biden positive for COVID, President Biden tests negative, White House says

WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (Reuters) – U.S. first lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 just days before President Joe Biden, who tested negative for the virus, is due to travel to a summit of Group of 20 in India, the White House. he said Monday.

Biden’s 72-year-old wife, whose symptoms were described as mild, last had COVID in August of last year. The president, now 80, last tested positive in July 2022.

“This evening, the first lady tested positive for COVID-19,” her communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said in a statement. “She will remain at her home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.”

Biden returned alone from Delaware on Monday evening.

“Following the first lady’s positive test for COVID-19, President Biden was tested for COVID tonight,” the White House said. “The president tested negative. The president will test at a regular rate this week and monitor symptoms.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Biden’s foreign travel could be affected.

But Biden’s official weekly schedule, released shortly after the first lady’s diagnosis was announced, showed him traveling to New Delhi on Thursday to attend the G20 summit. Biden plans to fly to Hanoi on Sunday.

Biden is running for re-election in 2024 in a campaign in which the question of his age has emerged as a key issue for voters.

He is the oldest president seeking a second term, and some Republicans have said he is too old to give him another four years in the White House.

Biden’s allies say he remains fit to serve as president.

Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.