August 16, 2022 – First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 and has mild symptoms, the White House said.
She tested positive while vacationing on Kiawah Island in South Carolina with her family, including President Joe Biden, according to CNN.
“After testing negative for COVID-19 on Monday during her regular testing, the First Lady began developing cold-like symptoms late in the evening. She came back negative on a rapid antigen test, but a PCR test came back positive,” Elizabeth Alexander, her director of communications, said in a statement.
Jill Biden, 71, is taking Paxlovid and will be in isolation for at least the next 5 days, according to the statement.
“The First Lady is vaccinated twice, boosted twice and is only experiencing mild symptoms,” Alexander said. “The close contacts of the First Lady have been notified. She is currently staying at a private residence in South Carolina and will return home after receiving two consecutive negative tests for COVID.
A person close to Biden told CNN on Tuesday morning that she is “feeling good” and has “common cold” symptoms.
President Biden is scheduled to return to Washington, DC, on Tuesday to sign the Inflation Reduction Act, according to CBS News. It’s unclear how the first lady’s positive test will affect the president’s planned trip to Delaware this week.
Joe Biden recently recovered from COVID-19 and remains negative, the White House said.
“The president tested negative for COVID this morning in an antigen test,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary. in a tweet.
“In accordance with CDC guidelines, because he is a close contact of the First Lady, he will mask for 10 days indoors and in close proximity to others,” she wrote. “We will also increase the President’s testing cadence and report those results.”
Joe Biden first tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21. He was isolated at the White House while receiving a course of Paxlovid and tested negative on July 27. Three days later, he tested positive again and had a case of recovery. He was isolated again until August 7, leaving isolation after testing negative for 2 consecutive days.
