MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Biden with mild symptoms after testing positive for covid-19

Argentine authorities fear July 26's meeting at the White House with Alberto Pernández might need to be rescheduled

US President Joseph Biden may not have cancer but he did test positive for COVID-19, the White House House announced Thursday, just one day after denying the head of state had admitted to having a life-threatening condition.

Read also: Biden does not have cancer, despite confusing speech

Biden has been reported to have “mild symptoms” and will continue to work in isolation while taking Pfizer's COVID-19 Paxlovid pills, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a news conference.

Meanwhile, First lady Jill Biden has tested negative for the malady and will therefore carry on with her work schedule.

Close contacts, including members of Congress and any members of the press who interacted with the president lately will be briefed, Jean-Pierre also pointed out.

Biden traveled to Somerset, Massachusetts, Wednesday, where he announced executive actions to address climate change, but his words were misconstrued as admission to having cancer. On Tuesday, he had met at the White House with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska.

The president will work in isolation until he tests negative, Jean-Pierre explained. Biden is fully vaccinated. He took his second booster shot in March.

Biden returned this week from his first presidential Middle East tour, where he was in close contact with several Israeli and Arab world leaders.

Argentine authorities fear the Summit between Biden and President Alberto Fernández may need to be postponed in light of this new health development.

According to current US regulations, anyone with COVID-19 needs to undergo 5 days in isolation and be tested daily as from Day 6 until the result is negative.

The meeting between the two heads of state is scheduled for July 26 at the White House.

“We wish President Biden a speedy recovery and as for the bilateral meeting, we will wait for the US government to inform us when the agenda will be resumed,” Argentina's Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero told Clarín.

US Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for Covid-19 in April.