First coronavirus positive infection in Donald Trump’s White House

A member of US vice-president Mike Pence’s staff has tested positive for the coronavirus, a press release from the White House on Friday confirmed, adding that neither the President nor the vice-president had an in-depth contact with the staffer.

“This evening we were notified that a member of the Office of the VP tested positive for the Coronavirus,” Pence’s spokesperson Katie Miller said, “Neither President Trump nor VP Pence had close contact with the individual.” More states in the US have issued stay-at-home orders on Friday locking down their residents barring essential services workers and trips to grocery and drug stores because the country witnessed a surge in new infections and fatalities.

President Donald Trump had himself tested last week for possible exposure to the virus after a member of a visiting delegation from Brazil that he had hosted for dinner tested positive for the coronavirus. Trump’s test turned up negative. But Pence, who heads the White House task force on the coronavirus outbreak, has not been tested yet.

President Trump’s handling of the outbreak came under fresh scrutiny because the Washington Post reported he ignored repeated warnings from US intelligence agencies about growing threats to the country because the epidemic spread to countries outside China, the epicentre, which his aides were unable to convince him of the severity of the case until recently.

At least 236 people have died, and thousands are infected till date amidst worries about the health system’s capacity to address the cases. Illinois, Florida and Connecticut states joined California and New York Friday with stay-at-home and similar measures restricting the movement of residents, non-essential businesses and workers.

“I don’t come to the recent decision easily,” Illinois governor J B Pritzker, a member of the family that founded Hyatt group of hotels. said at a press conference. “I fully recognise that, in some cases, I'm choosing between people’s lives and saving people’s livelihood. But ultimately, you can’t have a livelihood if you don’t have your life.”