New Delhi: US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus Friday.
Trump confirmed the news in a tweet and said that they are going to quarantine themselves to recover from the disease. In a separate tweet, Melania said they were “feeling good”.
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
As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) October 2, 2020
In a note released by the White House, the President’s physician Sean P. Conley said both of them were “well at this time and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence”.
“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,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wished them a “quick recovery” in a tweet.
Wishing my friend @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a quick recovery and good health. https://t.co/f3AOOHLpaQ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 2, 2020
According to the US’s national public health institute Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 8 out of 10 virus-related deaths reported have been among adults aged 65 years and older, which puts the 74-year-old president within the high-risk category.
So far, the US has registered more than 73 lakh cases of coronavirus and over 2.07 lakh deaths.
Also read: No mask to disinfectant cure — Trump contributed most to Covid ‘infodemic’, Cornell study says
Trumps were in isolation after close aide tested positive
Trump and Melania had earlier isolated themselves after Hope Hicks, one of the President’s closest aides, tested positive for the virus.
In a tweet Friday, the President had said that he and the First Lady were awaiting the results of their tests. “In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!”
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Hicks had accompanied the President and the First Lady, aboard Air Force One, to the first presidential debate held Tuesday night in Cleveland, Ohio. She also travelled with them to a rally in Minnesota Wednesday.
According to a Bloomberg report, “She felt poorly in Minnesota and quarantined aboard the presidential plane on the way home.”
Trump has questioned Covid protocols before
The US President has in the past questioned the efficacy of wearing masks as a Covid-19 safety precaution and brought up the issue of waiters touching their masks and then touching plates while serving people at restaurants. When asked by Fox News TV host Chris Wallace about his stance on masks during the presidential debate, Trump said: “I wear masks when needed”.
He also took a jibe at former vice president Joe Biden for frequently wearing masks. During the debate he added: “I don’t have — I don’t wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away from them and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”
Recently, journalist Bob Woodword accused Trump of deliberately playing down the dangers of coronavirus, weeks before the US registered its first Covid death, despite knowing how dangerous it was.
In an audio tape from February, Trump was heard saying the virus was “more deadly than even your strenuous flus”. The President subsequently said that he did not want to cause panic and wanted to be a “cheerleader” for the country.
It is still unclear how the Trumps testing positive will impact the Republican presidential campaign. Voting for the US Presidential elections is scheduled to begin on 3 November and two more presidential debates were scheduled for later this month on 15 October and 22 October.
Also read: ‘No straight count’ on Covid, sends ‘dirt up into air’ — what Trump said about India in debate