The US president is being tested for the virus “at a regular cadence” ahead of his trip to India for the G20 summit
US First Lady Jill Biden, 72, is experiencing “mild symptoms” of Covid-19 after testing positive for the virus on Monday, the White House has announced in a statement.
“This evening, the first lady tested positive for Covid-19,” it said late on Monday. “She is currently only experiencing mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.”
A subsequent statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre added: “Following the first lady’s positive test for Covid-19, President Biden was administered a Covid test this evening. The president tested negative. The president will test at a regular cadence this week and monitor for symptoms.”
The first lady had been due to begin the new school year on Tuesday at Northern Virginia Community College, where she lectures in English and writing. Mrs. Biden has been coordinating with officials from the college to arrange substitute teachers for her classes, her communications director Elizabeth Alexander said.
Jill Biden had recently joined her husband in traveling to Florida to survey damage caused by Hurricane Idalia. Afterwards, she returned to the Delaware home she shares with President Biden before attending a union event in Philadelphia. She returned to the White House on Monday in advance of her diagnosis.
She previously tested positive for Covid-19 in August 2022, a few weeks after Joe Biden was also diagnosed with the illness. Both recovered without experiencing any major symptoms.
The positive test recorded by Jill Biden comes just days before the US president is due to travel on Thursday to India to attend the G20 summit. He is also scheduled to visit Hanoi to meet with Vietnamese leaders before returning to Washington.
Citing administration officials, CNN reported on Monday that, as of yet, there have been no changes to Joe Biden’s travel schedule, or to Covid protocols in the White House.
Cases of Covid-19 have risen recently in the United States as new variants of the virus emerged during the summer months. However, case numbers remain significantly below the peak of the pandemic.
