President Joe Biden’s daughter, Ashley, has tested positive for Covid, the White House announced on Wednesday – prompting the 40-year-old to drop out of a planned trip to Central America with her mother.
Ms Biden was scheduled to accompany the First Lady to Ecuador, Panama and Costa Rica.
A spokesman forJill Biden said that the couple’s daughter was not considered a close contact of the president and his wife, The New York Times reported – meaning someone who has spent at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period within six feet of another individual.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that the president had not seen Ms Biden for “several days”.
The First Lady is travelling to Central America in advance of the US-hosted Summit of the Americas that will take place in Los Angeles next month, according to a release from the US Embassy in Costa Rica.
She will “emphasize the importance of the U.S. partnership with these three nations as well as their commitment to democracy,” the release continued.
This week’s trip marks the second time in a month that Ms Biden has been forced to cancel travel plans with her mother. The president’s youngest daughter was meant to accompany Dr Biden to Eastern Europe but, again on the day of the trip, it was revealed she had been in close contact with someone positive for Covid.
