• US Vice President Kamala Harris is in North Carolina for an abortion rights event and is expected to speak later.
• The White House confirmed that Ms Harris, who caught Covid back in April, had tested negative.
Image: EPA
US President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and is isolating at the White House.
The 79-year-old, who is fully-vaccinated and has twice received booster jabs, is experiencing "very mild symptoms" and will continue to carry out all his duties, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
The president is taking the antiviral medicine Paxlovid, her statement added.
In a tweet Mr Biden said he was "doing great" and "keeping busy".
His wife First Lady Jill Biden said she had tested negative.
Consistent with White House protocol the president will continue to work in isolation until he tests negative, Ms Jean-Pierre said - and will take part in meetings via telephone and Zoom.
White House Covid coordinator Dr Ashish Jha said the president was tired, with a runny nose and dry cough.
He said Mr Biden went to bed feeling fine but did not sleep well and then tested positive on Thursday morning.
Folks, I'm doing great. Thanks for your concern. Just called Senator Casey, Congressman Cartwright, and Mayor Cognetti (and my Scranton cousins!) to send my regrets for missing our event today.
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 21, 2022
Keeping busy! pic.twitter.com/uf7AsOg571
Ms Jean-Pierre will hold a press briefing alongside Dr Jha at 14:00 ET (19:00 BST).
The White House medical unit will inform all close contacts of the president during the day, Ms Jean-Pierre said, including any members of Congress or members of the press who were with Mr Biden during his visit to Massachusetts on Wednesday.
First Lady Mrs Biden said she had spoken to her husband and he was "doing fine".
"He's feeling good. I tested negative this morning. I'm going to keep my schedule. According to CDC guidelines, I'm keeping masked," she said.
Mr Biden, who is the oldest president in US history and turns 80 this year, last tested negative for Covid on Tuesday, the White House said.
In a memo to Ms Jean-Pierre, Mr Biden's physician Kevin O'Connor said he thought the president would respond favourably due to being fully vaccinated and twice boosted, adding that the early use of Paxlovid provided "additional protection against severe disease".
Mr Biden was judged "fit for duty" and described as "healthy" and "vigorous" by Dr O'Connor during his last physical examination in November, according to the BBC's US partner CBS.
US Vice President Kamala Harris is in North Carolina for an abortion rights event and is expected to speak later.
The White House confirmed that Ms Harris, who caught Covid back in April, had tested negative.
Should Mr Biden become unable to carry out his duties due to illness she would be given presidential powers.
This happened briefly in November when Mr Biden was put under general anaesthetic during a regular health check.
Mr Biden is not the first US president to suffer Covid after his predecessor Donald Trump had to be taken to hospital after contracting the virus in October 2020 while he was in office.
There have been 89.7 million Covid cases in the US and more than one million deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The US has been seeing a rebound in cases, which are up by more than 25% in the last month, according to CDC data.