By Jeff Mason
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden tested negative for COVID-19 for a second consecutive day on Sunday and will exit isolation after testing positive for nearly a week, the White House physician said.
Following his negative test, Biden will return to public engagement and travel, Dr. Kevin O’Connor said. The president traveled to his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Sunday morning.
“I’m feeling great,” Biden, 79, told reporters outside the White House upon departure for Rehoboth Beach.
Biden first emerged from isolation at the White House on July 27 after testing positive for COVID-19 for the first time on July 21. He tested positive again on July 30 in what O’Connor described as a rebound case seen in a small percentage of people who take the antiviral drug Paxlovid.
Being negative again will allow Biden to go ahead with a planned trip to Kentucky on Monday and participate in bill signings at the White House next week to celebrate a slew of recent legislative victories on semiconductor manufacturing and veterans’ health.
Biden suffered mild symptoms, including body aches and cough, during his initial bout with COVID-19. The president is vaccinated and boosted against the disease.
(Reporting by Jeff MasonWriting by Rami Ayyub Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
