Irish Prime Minister tested positive for COVID-19 before meeting with Biden

The Prime Minister of Ireland, Michael Martin, tested positive on Wednesday night for covid-19, which makes it unlikely that he will meet in the White House Oval Office this Thursday with US President Joe Biden, as scheduled.

The Irish embassy in Washington reported that on Wednesday afternoon Martin tested negative for an antigen test; but, subsequently, a PCR test was performed and the result was positive.

Martin attended an Irish gala at the National Construction Museum in central Washington on Wednesday night, but he had to leave the event in a hurry when he learned that he had been infected with the virus.

Ireland's ambassador to the US, Daniel Mulhall, was in charge of explaining to those present why the prime minister had unexpectedly absent himself from the event, explained on Twitter CBS journalist Margaret Brennan, who attended the gala.

Biden gave a speech during the gala, but had no direct contact with the Irish prime minister, a senior US official told CBS.

Martin was scheduled to meet with Biden on Thursday at the White House Oval Office for St. Patrick's Day, which the US uses to commemorate his Irish heritage.

Later, Martin and Biden were going to participate in a congressional lunch organized by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

On Thursday night, the US president and the first lady, Jill Biden, were also scheduled to participate in other events commemorating St. Patrick's Day with the Irish Prime Minister and his wife, Mary Martin.

The White House has not yet announced any changes to Biden's official schedule.

Earlier on Wednesday, Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” for his invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

“I think he's a war criminal,” Biden told a journalist who questioned him at the White House after an event dedicated to combating domestic violence.

The Russian response was not long in coming. Minutes later the Kremlin rejected Biden's comments about Putin, considering them “unacceptable and unforgivable.” “We consider such rhetoric unacceptable and unforgivable by the head of a state whose bombs killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world,” said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov, quoted by TASS agencies and Ria Novosti.

Earlier, the US president had announced the shipment of “longer-range” anti-aircraft weapons and drones to Ukraine.

The armament that the United States will send to Ukrainian forces includes 800 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, 9,000 anti-armor systems - including 2,000 more Javelin missiles -, 6,000 AT-4 anti-tank rocket launchers, 1,000 lighter weapons used to destroy armored vehicles, 20 million ammunition, and 100 drones.

Assistance also includes 100 grenade launchers, 5,000 rifles, 1,000 pistols, 400 machine guns and 400 shotguns, as well as more than 20 million bullets and ammunition for these firearms.

The money, approved as Russian forces approach the besieged Ukrainian capital, Kiev, includes $200 million allocated over the weekend and $800 million in new funds from an aid package approved last week by Congress. These figures are included in the spending package signed by Biden on Tuesday, which includes $13.6 billion in humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine and Eastern Europe, following the Russian invasion.

(With information from EFE)

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