[ad_1]
BELGRADE: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday (October 2) that he was reconsidering his upcoming trip to Asia as a precautionary measure after President Donald Trump and his wife tested positive for COVID-19.
No decision has yet been made, Pompeo told reporters on a flight from Rome to Dubrovnik in Croatia.
“I also spoke with the vice president’s office this morning,” Pompeo said. “Obviously, we are taking this very seriously.”
“We are praying for the president and the first lady for a speedy recovery,” he said.
Pompeo added that both he and his wife tested negative on the plane 20 minutes before landing in Dubrovnik. He said he last saw Trump in person on September 15.
READ: Timeline of Trump’s Activities the Week COVID-19 Came Home
Pompeo was scheduled to travel to Japan, Mongolia and South Korea from October 4-8, a key visit to strengthen ties with regional allies at a time when Washington’s relationship with China remains strained.
Japan said earlier on Friday that it is not aware of any changes to Pompeo’s visit to the country.
“I am not aware of any changes to Secretary of State Pompeo’s scheduled visit to Japan,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato told reporters after being asked whether the US President’s positive coronavirus test , Donald Trump, would affect the visit.
READ: US President Trump and his wife Melania test positive for COVID-19 after a senior adviser contracted the virus
Trump confirmed in a tweet that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19.
It comes after Hope Hicks, one of his closest aides, contracted the coronavirus.
Hicks began to feel mild symptoms during the plane ride home from a rally in Minnesota Wednesday night, according to an administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. She was quarantined away from other people on the plane and her diagnosis was confirmed Thursday, the person said.
The president’s doctor, Sean Conley, said the Trumps are “both fine at the moment” and that he hopes the president will continue to serve “without interruption.”
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
