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WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump announced on his Twitter account that he is in quarantine after Hope Hicks, one of his closest advisers, tested positive for the coronavirus. He and First Lady Melania underwent tests and are awaiting the results.
Hicks, 31, is the closest person to the president to have contracted the virus. She flew with Trump for the presidential debate in Ohio on Tuesday and accompanied him aboard the presidential plane, Air Force One, to the state of Minnesota for a campaign rally Wednesday night. In the debate, Trump mocked Democratic rival Joe Biden for wearing a mask that he said was too big.
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White House officials have known since Wednesday night that Hicks had the virus. Her condition was first reported by the Bloomberg news agency, which also said she had been quarantined on the flight home. It was unclear when the test that resulted in a positive diagnosis was done.
A White House spokesman, Judd Deere, declined to comment directly on the news, but Trump confirmed this in an interview with Fox News, saying that he and his wife, Melania, had been tested for the disease.
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“The President takes the health and safety of himself and of all who work to support him and the American people very seriously,” Deere said. – The White House Operations Department collaborates with the White House physician, president and Military Office to ensure that all plans and procedures incorporate guidance and best practices to limit exposure to Covid-19 as much as possible, both here and when the president is traveling.
Hicks is often seen traveling without a mask, but a White House official said she has been one of the few advisers who frequently wears masks in meetings. Trump is criticized for handling the pandemic for downplaying the disease that has killed more than 200,000 Americans, a world record, and then pressuring states to resume economic activities.
