Jesse Jackson, a civil rights activist and prominent Democratic politician, and his wife have both been hospitalized in hospitals after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the organization he established.

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

"Doctors are currently monitoring the condition of both," the statement stated, which was signed by the couple's son Jonathan Jackson.

"There are no further updates available at this time. We'll keep you updated when new information becomes available."

Rev. Jackson has been inoculated against the virus and received his first shot in January during a public event in which he advised others to get the vaccine as soon as possible.

He has campaigned for COVID vaccinations for black people, who are lagging behind white people in the immunization campaign in the United States.

Rev. Jackson, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017, has spent decades fighting for the rights of African-Americans and other minorities, dating back to the turbulent 1960s civil rights movement, which was led by his mentor Martin Luther King.

In 1984 and 1988, he sought for the Democratic presidential nomination, drawing black votes and many white liberals in unexpectedly successful campaigns, but fell short of becoming the first black major-party presidential nominee.