WASHINGTON (Reuters) — United States President Joe Biden, 81, has tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Las Vegas on Wednesday and is self-isolating after experiencing mild symptoms, the White House confirmed on Wednesday.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the diagnosis after the president of UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights organization, revealed that Biden would not be able to speak at a scheduled event due to his condition.

“He is vaccinated and boosted and experiencing mild symptoms,” Jean-Pierre stated.

As he boarded Air Force One to depart Las Vegas for Delaware to recuperate, Biden told reporters, “Good, I feel good,” although he ascended the stairs slowly, holding the railing tightly and pausing a few steps in and again towards the top.

The diagnosis comes at a critical time for Biden, who is losing ground in battleground states against Republican Donald Trump, who is headlining a convention this week after surviving an assassination attempt on Saturday.

The White House announced that Biden planned to spend a long weekend at his Delaware beach house. It was unclear how long his illness would keep him off the campaign trail.

Minutes after the announcement, the president’s motorcade headed to the Las Vegas airport following a radio interview in the city.

Biden had greeted a couple of dozen people at a Mexican restaurant before the radio interview. He was running late to deliver a speech to UnidosUS when the organizer, Janet Murguia, announced he had tested positive for COVID-19.

There were groans in the conference room at the news.

“He said to tell my folks that we’re not going to get rid of him that quickly; we’re going to have a chance to hear from him in the future directly,” Murguia said.

Biden, who had spent two nights in Vegas on the campaign trail, is facing opposition from some fellow Democrats who worry he is too old to seek re-election and want him to step aside in favor of another candidate.

He has been defiant in response to calls to quit the race, telling one interviewer that only the “Lord Almighty” could persuade him to go.

“He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time,” said Jean-Pierre.

Biden suffered a blow earlier on Wednesday when a prominent Democratic member of the US House of Representatives, Adam Schiff of California, said it was time for him to “pass the torch” to someone else.

According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded on Tuesday, 40% of Democratic registered voters said Biden should drop his re-election bid, with 65% of independent registered voters agreeing. Additionally, 58% of Democratic registered voters and 70% of independent registered voters believe Biden is too old to work in government.

The White House cited Biden’s doctor as saying he had been suffering from upper respiratory symptoms earlier in the afternoon.

“He felt OK for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point-of-care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive,” the statement said.

Biden’s symptoms are mild, and he has received an initial dose of Paxlovid, the doctor said.

Biden’s last bout with COVID began in July 2022. He tested positive on July 21, recovered on July 27, tested positive with a rebound case on July 30, and was finally cleared on August 7.

In an interview a day earlier, Biden had said, “I’m sick.”

Biden added that he would only reconsider his decision to run for a second term if doctors said he had medical problems.

“When I originally ran […] I said I was going to be a transitional candidate, and I thought that I would be able to move from this and pass it on to someone else,” he said. “But I didn’t anticipate things getting so, so, so divided. And quite frankly, I think the only thing age brings is a little bit of wisdom.”

Responding to another question, he said: “Elon Musk and his rich buddies are trying to buy this election.”

Source: Reuters