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WASHINGTON (BLOOMBERG, REUTERS) – Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, tested positive for the coronavirus infection this week, bringing the pandemic to the vice president’s inner circle.
Earlier on Saturday (October 24), Bloomberg News reported that one of Pence’s closest political advisers, Marty Obst, had also been infected with the virus, adding to the cases in and around the White House.
Mr. Short is Pence’s top aide, a constant presence at his company, and frequently serves as a public spokesperson for the Vice President. Pence, who delivered a campaign speech in Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday night, has not reported a positive result. Pence’s office confirmed his diagnosis in a statement late Saturday.
“Vice President Pence and Ms. Pence tested negative for Covid-19 today and are still in good health,” said Devin O’Malley, spokesman for the vice president, adding that Pence would maintain his schedule “in accordance with CDC guidelines for essential personnel ”.
Short was not seen aboard Pence’s plane, according to the pool reporter who was traveling with the vice president, Ms Megan Pratz.
It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Obst or Mr. Short had developed symptoms of Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus. Obst tested positive last Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter. Short was diagnosed Saturday, according to a statement Pence’s office provided to the Times.
Obst is not a government employee, but he is frequently in contact with Pence and his staff and often visits the White House grounds. It was the last time he was close to Pence a week ago, but he wasn’t very close to him, two of the people said.
Obst was quiet on Twitter on the day of his diagnosis, with only one retweet, but has since been active on the social media platform, posting criticism of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Obst declined to comment. Short and spokespersons for Pence and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The coronavirus has swept through the White House since September, infecting President Donald Trump, his wife and their youngest son, and several top advisers, including his campaign manager, press secretary and the chairman of the Republican National Committee. The outbreak has served as a punctuation mark in Trump’s handling of the pandemic, which polls show has been widely criticized by voters.
Another Trump ally, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, was hospitalized with Covid-19 after helping the president prepare for his first debate with Biden last month. Since her recovery, Christie has issued a public mea culpa, stating that she was wrong in not wearing a mask in the White House and urging Americans to follow the guidance of public health authorities.
Trump has rarely worn a mask before or after his illness, and he discourages it among his aides and those around him. The president wore a mask Saturday when he voted in Florida.
On Saturday, Pence was photographed wearing a mask while walking from Marine Two and boarded Air Force Two in Washington. He did not wear a mask during events in Lakeland or Tallahassee, but he was alone on stage, away from other people. The United States Secret Service agents around him wore masks.
Pence’s press secretary Katie Miller contracted Covid-19 in May.
The virus has infected about 8.6 million Americans so far and more than 225,000 have died. The United States is in the midst of another wave of infections, with new cases topping 83,000 on Friday, a record.
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