Coronavirus: Trump has not been tested for COVID-19 and is in excellent health, says White House
President Donald Trump has not been tested for the novel coronavirus, the White House said in a statement late on Monday, March 9. This is even though he has been in contact with many politicians who have gone under self-quarantine.
"The President has not received COVID-19 testing because he has neither had prolonged close contact with any known confirmed COVID-19 patients, nor does he have any symptoms. President Trump remains in excellent health, and his physician will continue to closely monitor him," said White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham in a statement.
"As per current CDC guidelines, medical professionals should base testing decisions on patient symptoms and exposure history," it said.
The statement comes after three House Republicans — who had come in direct contact with Trump — put themselves into self-quarantine as a precautionary measure after attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) and coming in contact with a person who has since tested positive for the virus.
Two Republican members of the Congress — Georgia Rep. Doug Collins and Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz — directly interacted with Trump in the days after the conference in February.
Collins shook hands with Trump during a visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. Gaetz rode in the presidential limousine before riding on Air Force One with the President on Monday, according to a CNN report.
On his flight back to Washington from a fundraiser in Longwood, Florida, Trump was accompanied by Gaetz. His office said he was "mid-flight" on Air Force One when CPAC informed his staff that he had been in contact with the attendee who had the virus.
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
During a media briefing on March 9, Trump refused to answer repeated questions from the media on whether he had been tested or not for the virus and walked out.
On Monday evening itself, Trump's incoming White House chief of staff, North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows — who also attended the CPAC — went into self-quarantine. Meadows announced his self-quarantine just hours after he flew on Air Force One with Trump coming back to Washington DC from Florida.
After Trump left the briefing, Vice President Pence announced that he had not been tested for coronavirus and was unsure if Trump had.
"Has he been tested? Have you been tested?" asked journalists, to which Pence replied, "I have not been tested for the coronavirus."
When a journalist informed Pence that Trump was in contact with people who were in proximity to somebody who had the virus, Pence said he is not aware, but promised to answer that question later.
"I honestly don't know an answer to that question. But we will refer that question and we will get you an answer from the White House physician very quickly," he added.
According to current estimates, 26 people have died and 738 have been infected with the novel coronavirus in the US.