WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama announced Sunday that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
"I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise," Obama explained in a tweet. "Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative."
The former president said his COVID diagnosis is a reminder for people to get vaccinated, if they haven't already, even as coronavirus cases drop.
Back in March 2021, Barack and Michelle Obama joined three other former presidents and former first ladies for a public service announcement to urge Americans to get vaccinated.
According to CNN, the former president had recently returned to Washington, D.C. after spending time in Hawaii for most of the winter. A source told CNN that Obama tested positive while in DC.
As the world enters the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, many places have rolled back restrictions in recent weeks as the surge of cases from the omicron variant has dipped.
There were roughly 35,000 infections on average over the past week, down sharply from mid-January when that average was closer to 800,000.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 75.2% of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated and 47.7% of the fully vaccinated have received a booster shot. The CDC relaxed its guidelines for indoor masking in late February, taking a more holistic approach that meant the vast majority of Americans live in areas without the recommendation for indoor masking in public.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.