Maskless Pence back at White House after virus scare
US VICE-President Mike Pence was back at the White House yesterday after reportedly self-isolating over the weekend after news that a senior aide of his had caught the coronavirus.
Mr Pence did not attend a meeting with President Donald Trump and senior military officials on Saturday, according to Bloomberg News, after his press secretary tested positive for Covid-19.
However, the vice president was seen walking into the White House without a mask yesterday morning after a spokesman confirmed he had tested negative. The White House is battling to limit exposure among staff after two employees were confirmed to have caught the virus, forcing some senior figures into isolation.
Staff working in the West Wing, where daily operations for Mr Trump’s administration are carried out, were yesterday told to wear masks at all times in the building except when at their desks.
Last week, it emerged that Katie Miller, Mr Pence’s press secretary, and a valet for Mr Trump had coronavirus, leading to a scramble to work out who else had been in contact with them.
Three senior coronavirus taskforce figures are now in some form of self-isolation: Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert; Robert Redfield, director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; and Dr Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
Ms Miller is married to Stephen Miller, the Trump adviser closely associated with the president’s hardline policies on immigration. He is now reportedly staying away from the White House for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, the FBI and Homeland Security Department are preparing to issue a warning that Chinese hackers are attempting to steal US research on a vaccine and treatment for Covid-19, according to the ‘New York Times’. (© Daily Telegraph, London)