US president Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19, according to a speaker at the UnidosUS annual conference broadcast on the White House’s YouTube channel.
Mr Biden was due to speak at the event in Las Vegas on Wednesday as part of an effort to rally Hispanic voters ahead of the November election.
UnidosUS president and CEO Janet Murguia told the guests that Mr Biden had sent his regrets and could not appear because he tested positive for the virus.
The US president had previously been at the Original Lindo Michoacan restaurant in Las Vegas, where he was greeting diners and was scheduled to take part in an interview with Univision.
The White House confirmed Mr Biden tested positive for Covid. According to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the US president is “vaccinated and boosted” and has mild symptoms.
“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,” she said in a statement to the press.
The president’s doctor said that Mr Biden “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”, in a statement shared with media.
“His symptoms remain mild, his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97%. The President has received his first dose of Paxlovid. He will be self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth,” the statement said. - Agencies