Bidens to travel to Kentucky after deadly flooding
By Kate Sullivan, CNN
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are scheduled to travel to Kentucky on Monday after deadly floods in the eastern part of the state killed more than three dozen people and destroyed communities.
The Bidens will join Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and the state’s first lady, Britainy Beshear, in visiting families affected by the flooding. They will survey recovery efforts at a local Federal Emergency Management Agency State Disaster Recovery Center, according to the White House.
At least 37 people are dead after heavy rains led to widespread flooding last week. Rescue workers continue to search for those who are missing. The flooding has destroyed communities, swept away entire homes and displaced thousands of Kentuckians. It has also knocked out essential power and water utilities, some of which has yet to be restored.
Many remain stranded without access to clean water, electricity and critical supplies. The governor has said heavily damaged infrastructure has made some communities nearly impossible to access, and the high temperature and humidity are also posing a challenge.
The trip announcement comes as the President continues to isolate at the White House as he is still testing positive for Covid-19.
Biden has tested positive every day since Saturday, when he first tested positive for his rebound case of the virus. The President’s doctor has been providing daily updates on his condition and said Friday that Biden “continues to feel very well” and that his cough “has almost completely resolved.”
The President is experiencing a rebound case of the virus after first testing positive for Covid-19 on July 21 and completing a five-day course of the antiviral drug Paxlovid, which requires a doctor’s prescription and is available via emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of mild to moderate Covid-19 in people 12 and older who are at high risk of severe illness.
The White House has several in-person events planned for next week, which are expected to only take place as planned if the President tests negative for Covid-19 and emerges from isolation.
Biden, 79, is at an increased risk for a more severe case of Covid-19 due to his age, but the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that being fully vaccinated and boosted significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization and death for older adults. Biden is fully vaccinated and has received two booster shots.
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