US President Donald Trump and the First Lady are Covid-19 positive. Russia’s Vladimir Putin leads world leaders in wishing the couple well.
President cancels events as he, wife test positive for Covid-19
LOS ANGELES: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus, forcing him to cancel events and upending the final weeks of his re-election campaign.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for Covid-19,” the president tweeted. “We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!” the president tweeted on Thursday
Trump’s physician, Sean P. Conley, said in a memo that he and the first lady “are both well”.
Melania Trump also tweeted that “We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are safe & we will all get through this together.”
Conley said in the memo that the president and first lady will remain at the White House, and the president will not interrupt his duties.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages anyone who tests positive to isolate for 10 days.
“The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professionals and institutions,” Conley wrote.
“Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments.”
Trump had confirmed just hours earlier that senior aide Hope Hicks had tested positive for the virus, following a Bloomberg report.
Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday evening that he was awaiting Covid-19 test results. “Whether we quarantine or whether we have it, I don’t know,” he said.
Hicks had travelled with the president throughout the week, including twice aboard Air Force One.
Trump attended a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday and the first presidential debate, opposite Joe Biden, in Cleveland. Hicks accompanied him to both events.
He’s set to face off against Biden again on Oct 15, which falls after the 10-day isolation window recommended by the CDC, but which could nevertheless be postponed.