U.S. first lady Jill Biden has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms, the White House said Tuesday.
The 71-year-old's positive result came after President Joe Biden recovered from contracting COVID-19 last month. He tested negative Tuesday morning, but will wear a mask for 10 days indoors and in close proximity to others as he is deemed a close contact of his wife.
The White House also said it will increase the 79-year-old president's testing cadence.
Jill Biden is fully vaccinated and has received two booster shots for additional protection. She has been prescribed a course of the antiviral drug Paxlovid and will be isolated from others for at least five days.
White House officials, Cabinet members and lawmakers have been among those contracting the virus, with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announcing Monday that he had tested positive for the second time this year. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris was also infected earlier this year.
Jill Biden is currently staying at a private residence in South Carolina and will return home after testing negative twice in a row, the White House said.
Last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines, saying that, while the pandemic is not over, the new guidance is aimed at reaching a point where the disease "no longer severely disrupts our daily lives."
The new measures include a recommendation that people wear a mask for 10 days and get tested instead of quarantining if they are exposed to the virus.
