Washington DC, America – President of the United States of America Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for Covid-19.
Donald Trump announced the news via Twitter just minutes ago, detailing that he and Melania have begun the quarantine and recovery process immediately.
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
This comes as President Trump had announced that he planned to quarantine anyway, after Hope Hicks, and Aide of Trump tested positive for the Coronavirus. “Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!” Trump said on Thursday.
Hicks has recently traveled with the President multiple times, including to the debate in Cleveland on Tuesday, and was seen boarding Marine One, along with several other of the President’s closest aides on Wednesday, as Trump was heading to a campaign rally in Minnesota, making Trump a direct contact.
“The President takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously,” White House spokesman Judd Deere reportedly told CNN when asked about the level of contact between Hicks and Trump.
“White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible both on complex and when the President is traveling,” Deere added.
Although it is unclear what the President’s “quarantine process” will look like, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines states that 14 day quarantine period is mandatory from the last known date of exposure to an individual who has tested positive for the virus, as the incubation of the coronavirus can be up to two days.
News of Hicks’ positive test comes amid continued efforts by the Trump administration to blatantly disregard science and best public health practices during the pandemic, with West Wing staff actively eschewing masks and the President defying recommendations from his own coronavirus task force, proceeding with a busy schedule of packed campaign ralies. Trump and his key aides have shown little interest in changing practices of his staff to meet the needs of the moment.
More details of the health condition of both Trump and Melania are yet to be know.
Source: CNN
