Joe Biden tests negative for COVID as deaths, hospitalizations rise
President Joe Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Tuesday, a day after First Lady Jill Biden received a positive coronavirus test result, the White House said.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Jill Biden was dealing with only “mild symptoms” and would remain in Delaware for the rest of the week.
The President is not showing any COVID symptoms so far but is taking several precautionary measures on the advice of his doctor, Jean-Pierre added.
“Since the President was with the First Lady yesterday, he will mask himself indoors and around people,” Jean-Pierre said, guided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “And as has been the practice in the past, the President will remove his mask when he is social distancing from others inside and out.”
Biden and Army Capt. Larry L. Taylor, a Vietnam veteran who was at the White House Tuesday to accept the Medal of Honor, wore masks as they entered the East Room for the ceremony.
Jacquelyn Martin via Associated Press
They both took them off shortly thereafter and remained unmasked until the end of the event.
Biden will be tested before heading to India for Thursday’s Group-20 summit, Jean-Pierre said during the White House briefing.
Jean-Pierre added that the government will provide more tools to fight COVID at the beginning of the autumn and winter months, noting that updated boosters would be released this month. abc news reported the shots could be made available “as early as next week”.
The EG.5 variant, also known as Eris, continues to dominate COVID cases in the US, accounting for 21.5% of all cases. according to estimates Of the infections released by the CDC for the two-week period ended September 2, it was estimated that another variant, FL.1.5.1, accounted for over 14% of the cases.
The President of Moderna said last month that the company’s clinical trials have shown that its updated booster “generated a robust immune response against the fast-spreading EG.5 and FL 1.5.1 strains.”
This comes as COVID appears to be spreading across the country.
The number of hospitalizations related to COVID increased by 15.7% in the week ended August 26, while deaths from the coronavirus increased by 17.6% over the same period. according to CDC.
