Three members of the White House coronavirus task force are quarantined

Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, were quarantined after contacting someone who tested positive for Covid-19.

Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the working group, has become known nationally for his simple and direct explanations to the public about the coronavirus.

Dr. Fauci’s institute said it has tested negative for Covid-19 and will continue to do so regularly.

He added that he is considered “relatively low risk” depending on the degree of his exposure, and that he would be “taking appropriate precautions” to mitigate the risk of personal contacts while continuing to perform his duties.

Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will be “teleworking for the next two weeks” after it was determined that he had a “low risk exposure” to a person in the White House, the CDC said in a statement Saturday.

The statement said he was feeling well and has no symptoms.

Just hours earlier, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn had contacted someone who tested positive and was quarantined for the next two weeks. It was negative for the virus.

Both men were scheduled to testify before a Senate committee on Tuesday, along with infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, also a member of the task force.

Panel chairman Senator Lamar Alexander said the White House will allow the two men to testify by video conference.

On Friday, Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary tested positive for the coronavirus, making her the second person who works at the White House to test positive for the virus this week.

White House officials had confirmed Thursday that a member of the military who was serving as one of President Trump’s valets had tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump, who publicly identified the affected aide as spokeswoman Katie Miller, said he was “not concerned” about the spread of the virus at the White House.

Global coronavirus cases and deaths. (PA graphics)

However, officials said they were intensifying security protocols for the complex.

Mrs. Miller had been in recent contact with Mr. Pence but not with the President and had tested negative a day earlier.

Mr. Pence, who is tested regularly, was evaluated Friday, while Ms. Miller tweeted that he was “fine” and expected to return to work.

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said the administration was stepping up mitigation efforts already recommended by public health experts and taking other unspecified precautions to ensure the safety of the president.

He said the White House was “probably the safest place to go,” but that he was reviewing more steps to keep Trump and Pence safe.

The White House requires daily temperature checks on anyone entering the complex and has encouraged social distancing among those who work in the building.

Management has also conducted regular deep cleaning of all workspaces. Anyone who approaches the President and Vice President is also tested daily.

Pence told reporters on Thursday that he and President Trump would now also be screened daily.

The Trump valet case marked the first known case in which a person who has approached the president tested positive as several people present at his private Florida club were diagnosed with Covid-19 in early March.