Joe Biden tests negative for COVID-19, will continue with his travel plans

Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign says the Democratic presidential nominee and his wife have tested negative for COVID-19. Image via AP.

Joe Biden has tested negative for the coronavirus, his primary care doctor confirmed, and will move forward with his Friday travel plans.

The Democratic presidential nominee and his wife were tested earlier in the day after news of President Donald Trump’s infection was announced.

Dr. Kevin O’Connor released the negative results in a statement issued by the Biden campaign. Biden was on the debate stage with Trump for more than 90 minutes earlier in the week.

Biden, in a social media post, thanked his supporters for “messages of concern.” He added: “I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands.”

After his negative results the Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President maintained his plans to visit Grand Rapids, Michigan, to talk about the economy on Friday morning. His trip was delayed by several hours as he awaited the test results.

He was also tested for the virus after attending Tuesday’s debate with Trump. The President said early Friday that he and his wife, Melania Trump, tested positive for coronavirus.

Biden spent much of the spring and early summer close to his Wilmington, Delaware home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But he’s stepped up his travel in the final stretch of the campaign, while still taking heed of public health guidelines.

He regularly wears a mask in public, something that Trump taunted Biden for during this week’s debate. And he mostly appears in front of small, socially distanced crowds.

“I don’t wear masks like him,” Trump said of Biden. “Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away from me, and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”

Appearing on “Fox & Friends” on Friday, debate moderator Chris Wallace said that Jill Biden, the former Vice President’s wife, and members of her group all wore masks throughout the debate.

“On the Trump side of the hall, Mrs. Trump came in wearing a mask, but took it off once she said sat down,” Wallace said.

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris also wished the President and First Lady a “full and speedy recovery..

Harris tweeted Friday that she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, are “keeping them and the entire Trump family in our thoughts.”

The California Senator and running mate to Biden took a routine test Thursday and tested negative for the coronavirus. She was not in Cleveland on Tuesday night when Trump faced Biden for the first presidential debate of the campaign.

Biden and Harris have repeatedly urged the use of masks and have embraced social distancing to stop spread of the virus.

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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.