Civil rights leader and former Democratic politician Jesse Jackson and his wife have both been admitted to hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, the group he founded has said.

Reverend Jackson, 79 and his wife Jacqueline, 77, are being treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, a statement issued by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition said.

“Doctors are currently monitoring the condition of both,” the statement, authorised by the couple’s son Jonathan Jackson, said.

“There are no further updates at this time. We will provide updates as they become available.”

Rev Jackson is vaccinated against the virus and received his first dose in January during a publicised event as he urged others to receive the inoculation as soon as possible.

He has advocated for COVID vaccines for black people, who lag behind white people in America’s vaccination drive.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017, Rev Jackson had spent decades advocating for the rights of black Americans and other minorities dating back to the turmoil of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, spearheaded by his mentor Martin Luther King.

He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, attracting black voters and many white liberals in mounting unexpectedly strong campaigns but falling short of becoming the first black major party White House nominee.

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