President Biden tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday morning after a packed week of travel and public appearances, as well as opportunities to give or pass on the virus.
“This morning President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is fully vaccinated and boosted twice and has very mild symptoms. He started taking Paxlovid,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said in a statement.
During a speech on Saturday, the 79-year-old president had a noticeable cough. On the same day, he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time. During the trip, he shook hands with others, breaking an announcement from the White House that he would refrain from shaking hands due to Covid-19 concerns.
Here’s a look at the vaccinated and twice refreshed President’s last week:
Thursday – July 14 – Biden arrives in Israel and visits a packed stadium
The President held one-to-one talks with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, President Isaac Herzog and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He also attended an I2U2 meeting attended by leaders from Israel, India and the United Arab Emirates and held a press conference with Lapid.
In the evening he attended a reception hosted by Herzog and attended the opening of the Maccabiah Games, known as the Jewish Olympiad.
Biden addresses US athletes at the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem.
Biden poses with fans at the Maccabiah Games in Jerusalem on Thursday, July 14
Crowds gathered at the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah Games at Jerusalem’s Teddy Stadium
Friday — July 15 — Biden bursts through a press conference in Jerusalem with MBS and a cough
Biden banged his fist on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrived in Jeddah on Friday night for a meeting with the controversial king and his father King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud.
A handout photo of President Joe Biden (left) punching Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (right) as he arrived for a meeting with the controversial king in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday night
He later gave a press conference where asked his reaction to criticism of the kind gesture. “What a stupid question,” remarked the President.
Prior to his arrival in Jeddah, Biden was in Jerusalem, where he made a public address and visited the West Bank before holding a bilateral meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and visiting the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
The president coughed through remarks at an East Jerusalem Hospital Network event.
He shared a story about a previous brain aneurysm: “I was giving a speech and I had a terrible headache – (coughs) – excuse me – a terrible headache. And – sorry – (takes a sip of water) – (coughs) – I swallowed wrong. I had a terrible headache. That was years ago.’
Saturday – July 16 – Biden has a full day of meetings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
On Saturday, the President had a full day of bilateral meetings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with Prime Ministers Mustafa Al-Kadhimi of Iraq, Abdel Fattah al Sisi of Egypt and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.
The meetings were part of a GCC+3 summit bringing together leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman – as well as the heads of state of the United States, Egypt and Iraq .
Biden had hoped to reach an oil production deal at a time of sky-high gas prices.
He ended his less than 24-hour stay in Saudi Arabia with public statements offering less veiled criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. Citizens should be able “to question and criticize their leaders without fear of reprisals,” he said, referring to the killing of Washington Post Jamal Khashoggi.
Biden then returned to Washington and was back at the White House before midnight.
Sunday – July 17 – Biden attends the fair
Biden went to Holy Trinity Church in Georgetown on Sunday night.
Monday – rest day
On Monday, the President had a day off from the public after returning from a tour of the Middle East.
Tuesday – Biden meets with Ukraine’s first lady
On Tuesday, the President and First Lady Jill met with Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska at the White House. He offered Zelenska a bouquet of flowers and was photographed touching her back, posing for photos in close proximity.
Wednesday – Biden travels to Massachusetts
On Wednesday, Biden delivered a speech on climate change in Somerset, Massachusetts.
Speaking at the Brayton Point power plant — New England’s largest coal-fired power plant being converted into a factory making cable for offshore wind farms — Biden blamed Republicans instead of West Democratic Senator Joe Manchin for Congress’ failure to act on climate change Virginia.
The president raised eyebrows when he announced he had cancer in an accidental misstep. Speaking about how pollution causes cancer, the President said. “That’s why I — and so damn many other people I grew up with — have cancer,” he said. Biden had multiple non-melanoma skin cancers removed before becoming president.
On Wednesday, Biden delivered a speech on climate change in Somerset, Massachusetts
On Tuesday, the President and First Lady Jill met with Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska at the White House
Biden hugs Herzog during the Maccabiah Games opening ceremony
Jordanian King Abdullah II (L) meets US President Joe Biden (R) during the Security and Development Summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 16
U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Israel’s Acting Prime Minister Yair Lapid shake hands before the start of a joint news conference July 14 in Jerusalem.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog (R) presents US President Joe Biden (L) with the Presidential Medal of Honor from the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem