U.S. President Joe Biden leaves following services at St. Edmond’s Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, September 3, 2023.
Amanda Andrade-Rhoades | Reuters
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden tested negative Monday night for Covid-19, a day after his wife tested positive and three days before he’s scheduled to travel overseas.
Biden is negative and never experiencing any symptoms, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday.
First lady Jill Biden tested positive on Monday night, but up to now she has experienced mild symptoms, the White House said. The Bidens were at their home together in Rehoboth, Delaware, over Labor Day weekend after stopping in Florida on Saturday to survey damage attributable to Hurricane Idalia. The president last saw the primary lady on Monday morning before he traveled to an event in Philadelphia.
The primary lady will remain in Delaware for the remainder of the week, Jean-Pierre said.
The president is scheduled to depart for India on Thursday to attend the Group of 20 summit, after which go on to go to Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday. On Monday, Biden will probably be in Alaska to watch the twenty second anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
If Biden were to check positive for Covid in the following few days, he could attend the G20 meetings virtually, like his predecessor Donald Trump did in the course of the Covid pandemic.
If he were forced to remain home, the president could by accident find himself in ignominious company. Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t be attending the conference for the second 12 months in a row, and Chinese President Xi Jinping also plans to skip it.
“I’m disillusioned,” Biden said of Xi’s absence, “but I’m going to get to see him.”
