Biden tests positive for COVID, scraps Las Vegas campaign speech

President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday and was experiencing what the White House called mild symptoms.

The 81-year-old president scrapped a planned speech to a Latino group in Las Vegas and jetted back to his beach home in Rehoboth, Del., where he will remain in isolation for a few days.

Biden was given an initial dose of the anti-COVID drug Paxlovid, which is highly successful at battling the virus that sparked a global pandemic that killed millions. The president has been vaccinated and boosted and has had COVID previously.

There was no immediate sign that the COVID diagnosis could have any impact on Biden’s insistence that he will stay in the presidential race against former President Trump.

Biden is battling significant calls from Democrats to step down from the race after his shaky performance in their debate last month.

Democrats are planning to gather next month for their national convention.

Republicans are meeting this week for their convention, which has turned into a triumphant coronation for Trump after he survived an assassination attempt over the weekend.