WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have tested positive for Covid-19, the President announced early Friday morning in a tweet.
The news comes with 32 days until Election day, 14 days away from the second Presidential Debate, and five days from the Vice Presidential Debate. The positive result comes after Mr. Trump’s top aide Hope Hicks tested positive for coronavirus.
Hicks has been traveling with Mr. Trump and was seen at Tuesday night’s in Cleveland but was seen not wearing a mask. The President was seen with Vice President Mike Pence earlier Thursday and the current health of Mr. Pence is not yet known.
“The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence,” White House physician Sean Conley said in a memo.
“She did test positive, I just heard about this. She tested positive. She’s a hard worker. Lot of masks, she wears masks a lot but she tested positive. Then I just went out with a test. I’ll see — you know, because we spent a lot of time — and the first lady just went out with a test also. So whether we quarantine or whether we have it, I don’t know,” Trump said during a call-in on Fox News late Thursday.
As of this writing, it is unclear how Mr. Trump’s “quarantine process” will look. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people should stay home and quarantine for 14 days if they might have been exposed to the virus, which is the time frame until the second presidential debate between Mr. Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden.
Mr. Trump has constantly mocked Mr. Biden for wearing a mask while the President himself has rarely been seen without a mask. Given his age and weight, Mr. Trump is considered in the high-risk group.
