President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 and has canceled a speech he was set to deliver in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday evening.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement confirming that Biden had tested positive for coronavirus. Biden was scheduled to speak at the UnidosUS annual conference.
The conference is “one of the largest gatherings of Latinos and allies committed to increasing opportunity and driving social justice for the Latino community,” according to the conference’s website.
“Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19,” the statement said. “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.”
“He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus,” Biden’s doctor wrote in the press release.
The statement added that the White House would continue to “provide regular updates on” Biden’s status “as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.”
Biden’s positive result comes weeks after Vice President Kamala Harris’s husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.