The White House said on Monday that President Donald Trump has not been tested for Covid-19 – even though the 73-year-old leader had direct contact with at least three people who’ve since put themselves under self-quarantine after possibly interacting with an attendee of the Conservative Political Action Conference who tested positive for the coronavirus.
The president was also at CPAC — but officials said he was not in close proximity to the infected individual.
Trump did, however, come into contact with Doug Collins, Matt Gaetz and Mark Meadows – the incoming White House chief of staff – in the days after the conference. All three lawmakers have since placed themselves under self-quarantine after being informed that they’d potentially come into contact with the coronavirus patient during CPAC.
Collins shook Trump’s hand during the president’s visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, and Gaetz rode with Trump in the presidential limousine and Air Force One on Monday, CNN reported.
Meadows, who was named Trump’s new chief of staff last week, attended a recent White House meeting, Politico said.
Despite these interactions, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement that Trump had “not received Covid-19 testing because he has neither had prolonged close contact with any known confirmed Covid-19 patients, nor does he have any symptoms.”
“President Trump remains in excellent health, and his physician will continue to closely monitor him,” she added. “Per current CDC guidelines, medical professionals should base testing decisions on patient symptoms and exposure history.”
Vice President Mike Pence, who also attended CPAC, said earlier in the day that he too had not been tested for the novel coronavirus.
The disease has sickened more than 100,000 people globally. In the US, more than 600 people have been diagnosed with the virus.