Biden holds a gas prices event virtually as he isolates with COVID-19

By Washington desk

Published July 22, 2022 at 4:51 PM EDT

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, left, listens as President Joe Biden speaks virtually during a meeting with his economic team in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex in Washington on Friday.

President Biden made a video appearance at an economic briefing on gas prices Friday that reporters at the White House were brought in to observe. Biden had a scratchy voice as talked up lowering gas prices.

"I apologize for my voice. I'm feeling a lot better than I sound," Biden said.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday that she spoke with Biden over FaceTime along with White House COVID Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha and that the president says he is still putting in 8-plus hour workdays and wants to remind Americans to get vaccinated.

Jha told reporters at the White House briefing that Biden told him he had slept well last night.

Jean-Pierre said the White House medical unit has contacted 17 people believed to be close contacts to the president, including members of the senior staff. She said none of them have yet tested positive since the president's diagnosis and they are masking around other people in line with CDC guidance.

Jha said that in the president's five full days of isolation, Thursday was day zero and today is day one. He will isolate through Tuesday, and if he tests negative, at that point he could resume a normal schedule on Wednesday.