The White House said less than an hour before his departure for India, “The President tested negative for Covid.”
US President Joe Biden travelled for India on Thursday to attend the historic G20 Summit in New Delhi, which will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The White House has stated that Biden will adhere to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 standards during his travel to India for the G20 Summit.
On Monday, 72-year-old First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19. Following his wife’s positive test, President Biden, 80, was tested for the virus on Monday and Tuesday, but his findings were negative.
The White House said less than an hour before his departure for India, “The President tested negative for Covid.”
After testing positive, the First Lady was quarantined at her Delaware home and will not accompany the president to India and Vietnam. Her office stated on Thursday, “The First Lady test negative for Covid today.”
Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, Director of Speechwriting Vinay Reddy, Director of Communications Ben LaBolt, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and Director of Scheduling and Advance are also joining the president. Ethan Rosenzweig, NSC Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell, NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communication Ryan Montoya, Acting Chief of Protocol Among those present were John Kirby, Senior Advisor for Energy and Investment Amos Hochstein, Deputy Director of Communications Herbie Ziskend, and Eileen Laubacher, Senior Director for South Asia, National Security Council.
The White House said Biden will arrive in New Delhi on Friday evening after fueling at Ramstein, Germany.
The US president is looking forward to a successful G-20 Summit and advancing various causes close to his heart, such as climate change and reforms of international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Biden would welcome the African Union as a G20 member on his first trip to India as President of the United States, an Indian initiative that has been backed and applauded by international leaders.
On Friday, he is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi.
The two leaders are expected to assess progress on decisions taken during Prime Minister Modi’s formal state visit to Washington in June during their meeting.
The discussion might focus on Ukraine, important and emerging technologies, and some of the recently announced partnerships, such as those for drones with General Atomics and jet engines with General Electric.
The next day, President Biden will greet Modi with an official arrival and handshake. Following that, he would attend a series of G20 Leaders Summit meetings, including Session 1: “One Earth” and Session 2: “One Family.”
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He will also attend an event hosted by the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment before concluding the day with a dinner and cultural programme with G20 leaders.
The President will visit the Raj Ghat Memorial with G20 leaders before departing for Hanoi, Vietnam, according to the White House.
