United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19,” Donald Trump tweeted. “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this together!”
The president’s physician, Sean P Conley, said Trump was “well” without saying whether he was experiencing symptoms, according to The New York Times. He added that the president would stay isolated in the White House for now.
“The president and first lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence,” Conley said. “Rest assured I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the Trumps recover soon. “Wishing my friend @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a quick recovery and good health,” he tweeted.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump received their test results after one of the president’s closest aides, Hope Hicks, 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!” Trump had tweeted. “The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!”
“She’s a hard worker,” Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News, according to AFP. “Lot of masks, she wears masks a lot but she tested positive.”
The news of Trump getting infected comes days ahead of the crucial US Presidential elections in November, where he would fight for another term in office. He has been in the middle of campaigning and was scheduled to fly to Florida for a rally after meeting his supporters in Washington on Friday, according to Bloomberg.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people stay home and isolate for up to 14 days if they might have been exposed to the virus. Trump said he spent a lot of time with Hicks, whose service dates back to his 2016 campaign.
Hick and Trump had travelled together aboard Air Force One for a the presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday and to a Minnesota rally on Wednesday. She felt poorly in Minnesota and quarantined aboard the presidential plane on the way home, Bloomberg quoted officials as saying.
Hicks is the latest person in Trump’s administration to contract the virus, which has infected more than 72.27 lakh Americans and killed more than 2,00,000. Other senior staff who got infected and recovered include National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien.
Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 3.42 crore people and killed 10,21,709, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 2.35 crore people have recovered worldwide so far.
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