Biden again tests positive for Covid, returns to isolation

US President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time and is returning to isolation though he “continues to feel quite well,” his White House doctor said Saturday.

Biden “tested positive late Saturday morning, by antigen testing,” and “will reinitiate strict isolation procedures,” presidential physician Kevin O’Connor wrote in a memorandum.

“This in fact represents ‘rebound’ positivity,” O’Connor wrote, referring to a situation in which patients treated with the drug Paxlovid — as Biden was — clear the virus but test positive after completing their course.

Biden’s administration is facing major challenges including soaring inflation and Russia’s land assault on Ukraine. His popularity has dropped sharply over the past year. A Reuters/Ipsos survey completed on Tuesday showed 36% of Americans approve of his job performance.

Multiple members of Biden’s administration and other senior figures in Washington have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent months, including Vice President Kamala Harris in April, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Attorney General Merrick Garland.