Joe Biden and wife Jill test negative for coronavirus and return to campaign trial
Democratic candidate was tested following Donald Trump’s positive test for Covid-19
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Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Joe Biden and his wife Jill have both tested negative for the coronavirus and are returning to the campaign trail.
The former vice president took a test on Friday morning amid concerns that he may have contracted the virus from Donald Trump during their debate earlier this week.
“I’m happy to report that Jill and I have tested negative for Covid. Thank you to everyone for your messages of concern. I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands,” he wrote.
Mr Biden’s campaign said he would return to the campaign trail with an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Mr Trump revealed on Thursday night that he and his wife Melania had contracted the virus this week. That test followed news that the president’s senior aide Hope Hicks had tested positive. It is not known who contracted the virus first.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said the president was showing “mild symptoms” but did not give further information about when he contracted the virus.
The news that Mr Trump had contracted the coronavirus just a month away from the election has sent shockwaves through his campaign, and thrown into doubt his re-election prospects in an already chaotic final stretch.
There were also concerns that the president may have passed on the virus when he attended a fundraising event in New Jersey on Thursday. According to the New York Times, the president came into contact with around 100 people at the event. Mr Trump learned that Ms Hicks had tested positive for the virus before the event but went ahead with it anyway, the Times reported.
Mr Biden earlier said that he and his wife Jill “send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery.”
“We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family,” he added.
Kamala Harris, Mr Biden’s running mate, also tested negative on Friday morning.
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