US President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 while on a campaign trip to Las Vegas and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to the White House. "I feel good," Mr Biden said, giving reporters the thumbs up as he leaned out of his limousine dubbed "The Beast," before boarding Air Force One to head for isolation at his home in Delaware.
The announcement came minutes after the head of a Latino union said Mr Biden had called to apologise that he could no longer address its members because he had been diagnosed.
It also comes as Mr Biden is under growing pressure to drop his reelection bid against Donald Trump after a disastrous debate performance sparked concerns about his age and health. "Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for Covid-19," spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms.
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." Mr Biden's doctor was suffering from a runny nose and a "non-productive cough" along with "general malaise," the White House said in an accompanying note.