Taoiseach will not meet Joe Biden at White House after testing positive for COVID

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has tested positive for COVID-19.

It means his meetings with US President Joe Biden tomorrow are likely to be cancelled.

The Taoiseach tested negative on an antigen this evening but, after a member of his delegation returned a positive result, a PCR test was carried out.

He was then whisked away from a gala dinner in Washington DC.

I’m told Joe Biden isn’t considered a close contact. Micheál Martin was sitting next to Nancy Pelosi for a while at tonight’s dinner before the test result

— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) March 17, 2022

Micheál Martin has literally the worst luck. Huge drain of energy from the room here. Everyone feeling very bad for the Taoiseach

— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) March 17, 2022

US President Joe Biden was also attending the dinner; however, it is believed he is not considered a close contact.

The Taoiseach is now not expected to meet with President Biden at the White House later on today.

Instead, he is expected to meet with him virtually as part of a wider virtual programme of events.

It will be the second year in a row he has met with the US President via video-link on St Patrick’s Day.