Washington: The White House on Friday confirmed the second positive case due to novel coronavirus, with a close aide to Vice President Mike Pence testing positive for the contagious disease. The confirmation came a day after US military personnel, serving as the official valet to President Donald Trump, was reported to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Trump's Valet Tests COVID-19 Positive, US President Again Tests Negative, Confirms White House.
A White House official, while speaking to AP news agency, said the second person was confirmed to be infected with coronavirus on Wednesday. The back-to-back cases of coronavirus in the White House has pushed the authorities on alert.
The staffers who closely interact with the President and V-P would be tested on daily basis, the administration said in its statement on Thursday. Trump and Pence had both tested negative for coronavirus, hours after the White House confirmed that the valet had tested positive.
"We were recently notified by the White House Medical Unit that a member of the United States Military, who works on the White House campus, has tested positive for Coronavirus," said a statement issued by Trump deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said.
“The President and the Vice President have since tested negative for the virus and they remain in great health,” Gidley was further reported as saying by news agency AFP.
Trump and Pence have drawn flak for violating the lockdown norms which have were announced by their own administration. Both the leaders appeared at public places without wearing a face mask. The President has been severely critical of Democratic Governors who are refraining from lifting the lockdown in their respective provinces.
After his valet was tested positive, it was the second time when Trump was feared to have contracted the infection. While he is being frequently tested, the results were awaited in March, after two members of a Brazilian delegation which visited him for a bilateral meeting tested positive on returning to Brasilia. The President, had, however, tested negative.
The United States, worst-affected country in the world due to coronavirus, has so far confirmed over 1,308,300 cases. The numbers include 220,554 persons who have recovered and 77,883 patients who succumbed to death. The administration recently revised its COVID-19 fatality estimate, raising it to 134,000.
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