The White House said on Tuesday that first lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 while on vacation in South Carolina with her family, including President Biden, and is experiencing minor symptoms.
Elizabeth Alexander, the director of communications for the first lady, reported the positive test result and said that she would stay in South Carolina until two negative COVID-19 tests are administered.
“After testing negative for COVID-19 on Monday as part of her routine testing regimen, the First Lady had cold-like symptoms in the late evening,” Alexander said in a statement. “The fast antigen test came back negative, but the PCR test was positive. The First Lady has had two vaccinations and two boosters and is experiencing fairly moderate effects.”
Alexander said that Jill Biden is taking Paxlovid and would be isolated for a minimum of five days. Alexander said, “She is presently residing at a private house in South Carolina and will come home after receiving two consecutive negative COVID tests.”
The first lady’s positive test comes shortly after the president’s personal COVID-19 infection. On July 21, he first tested positive and was quarantined in the White House while the first lady stayed at the couple’s Delaware mansion. Six days later, he was released from isolation, but on July 30 he had a “rebound” episode, necessitating further isolation until August 7.
The White House said that Mr. Biden tested negative on Tuesday but is considered a close contact of the first lady. According to the White House, he will follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations and wear a mask inside for 10 days, as well as get tested more often.
On Tuesday, the president will travel to Washington, D.C., to sign the Inflation Reduction Act. It is unclear how the positive test result of the first lady will influence the president’s trip to Delaware this week.