President Trump hoped this would be the week he emerged into a nation recovering from the pandemic. Instead, he found coronavirus in his inner circle.
A day after breaking his White House self-isolation for a cross-country trip meant to signal the country's readiness to restart, Trump received word that one of his Oval Office valets tested positive for the virus.Two days later, Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary also tested positive, setting off another round of tests, delaying the vice president's trip to Iowa and causing more hand-wringing inside the White House about who might be infected.
Trump questions 'whole concept of tests.' See Gupta's reaction 02:01When a White House staffer first contracted coronavirus in March, it was seen as a one-off that did not appear to create further contagion among the executive staff. But the latest cases involve people who work in much closer proximity to the President and vice president. And they occurred even with the robust screening and testing practices the White House Medical Unit enacted earlier in the outbreak.
The lingering effects of the pandemic followed him, however. When he landed at the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport, dozens of idled commercial jetliners sat parked nearby, a reminder that Air Force One was one of the few planes still flying. During a roundtable with Native Americans, Trump brought along boxes loaded with rapid test kits made by Abbott Labs, the same product used at the White House to test him and his staff for coronavirus.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
White House Valet Reportedly Tested Positive for Coronavirus but President Is 'In Good Health'A personal White House valet for Donald Trump has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to multiple news reports, though the White House said the president has tested negative and remains 'in good health'
Read more »
White House employee tests positive for coronavirus, Trump and Pence test negativeA member of the military who works at the White House tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting new tests of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence that proved negative.
Read more »
Government coronavirus response updates: Trump military aide tests positive for coronavirus, White House saysFirst lady Melania Trump: “On this National Day of Prayer let us take a moment to extend our deepest sympathy to the families of those who lost their loved ones to COVID-19.”
Read more »
White House employee tests positive for coronavirus, Trump and Pence test negativeThe White House said 'the President and the Vice President have since tested negative for the virus and they remain in great health.'
Read more »