WASHINGTON, July 24 — President Joe Biden, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, is improving in health and none of his 17 identified close contacts have so far tested positive for the coronavirus, White House Covid coordinator Ashish Jha said on Sunday.

Jha told ABC News Biden "had a great day yesterday, was feeling well,” and that Biden’s close contacts were continuing to follow the protocols of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Biden, 79, had experienced mild symptoms, according to the White House. His diagnosis came as a highly contagious subvariant of the coronavirus drives a new wave of cases in the United States.

Jha told Fox this morning that Biden likely has that BA5 variant.

The White House has sought to underscore Biden’s ability to work through his illness. On Thursday it released a video of him reassuring Americans he was doing fine, and on Friday he participated in virtual meetings with White House staff. — Reuters