johns island

KIAWAH ISLAND — He came. He prayed. He biked. He played. And now, President Joe Biden’s South Carolina summer vacation is nearly over.

After a few quiet days on Kiawah Island, Biden will leave the serenity of the Lowcountry behind on Aug. 16, making his way back to Washington to sign the Inflation Reduction Act into law, the White House announced.

Air traffic over Charleston will be restricted around lunchtime Aug. 16, starting at 11:15 a.m. and ending at 12:45 p.m., according an advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration.

But first lady Jill Biden will remain in the Palmetto State a while longer.

On the day she was set to return to Washington with her husband on Aug. 16, Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 and was experiencing “mild symptoms,” the White House announced. 

She has been prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid and will isolate at the vacation home on Kiawah Island for at least five days, her spokeswoman said in a statement.

Much like his arrival last week, the president’s departure is not expected to disrupt commercial flights at Charleston International Airport in North Charleston, an airport spokesman said. He encouraged passengers to be sure to check their airline for flight information.

When Biden and his family landed in the Charleston area Aug. 10 they touched down at Charleston Air Force Base in Air Force One. The Bidens then boarded the presidential helicopter, which took the family to Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island.

Biden’s six-day sojourn to the Palmetto State was a low-key trip for the president. He stayed with his family on Kiawah, a gated community known for its private beach and famous golf resort about 26 miles southwest of Charleston.

South Carolina, and especially Charleston, hold both political and personal significance for Biden. South Carolina is