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WASHINGTON, United States (Reuters): United States President Donald Trump said on Friday (October 2) that he and his wife Melania had tested positive for Covid-19 and were in quarantine, which changed the race for the White House.
“We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get out of this together!” said the president on Tuesday night (October 1).
Trump, 74, is at high risk of contracting the deadly virus both because of his age and because he is considered overweight. He has been in good health during his tenure, but is not known to exercise regularly or eat a healthy diet.
Trump played down the virus in its early stages and has repeatedly predicted that it would disappear.
More than 200,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the United States alone, and the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions have been especially hard hit.
The president rarely wears a mask and has ridiculed others, including Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, for doing it regularly. Health professionals say that covering your face is key to preventing the spread of the virus.
Biden has harshly criticized Trump for his response to the pandemic, while the president has touted his own handling of it.
Trump, who is regularly tested for the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, has held demonstrations with thousands of people in recent weeks in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election, despite warnings from professionals. against holding events with large crowds.
On Thursday night, the president predicted that the end of the pandemic was in sight. Soon after, it emerged that Hope Hicks, a top trusted advisor and advisor, had tested positive for the virus. Hicks traveled with the president on Air Force One on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The development dramatically alters the presidential race.
The White House issued a new schedule for Trump’s activities on Friday that did not include his planned trip to Florida. Biden is scheduled to campaign in Michigan on Friday. Both states are undecided states that could decide the American elections.
Trump, who has been criticized for questioning the effectiveness of covering his face, pulled a mask from his pocket in the first presidential debate on Tuesday and said: “I wear masks when necessary. When necessary, I wear masks.”
He then ridiculed Biden for wearing them regularly: “I don’t wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he has a mask. He could be talking 200 feet away from them and he shows up wearing the largest mask I’ve ever seen.” never seen. “
Trump has held regular rallies across the country to build excitement for his candidacy against the former vice president, who has avoided campaign events with large numbers of people. Trump prides himself on his big campaign rallies, with crowds of people not wearing masks or maintaining social distance.
S&P 500 futures fell 1.8% in Asian trading after the news, extending earlier losses, while barometers of risk sentiment such as the Australian dollar and Treasury yields fell.
“Trump has been behind Biden and clearly failed to bridge the gap after the first debate … I suspect markets will lean towards the view that Biden is likely to win the election,” said Naoya Oshikubo, senior economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust . Asset Management.
“What worries me is that it will become even more aggressive against China after contracting the virus.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent two weeks recovering after contracting Covid-19 in late April.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went into quarantine in March after his wife was diagnosed with the coronavirus. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro called it a “little flu” after becoming infected in July. – Reuters
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through it TOGETHER!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
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