DON PASSES VIRUS TEST
Trump doc says he’s symptom-free after widespread criticism, VP still not checked
President Trump tested negative for coronavirus on Saturday — and not only that, he is symptom-free, his doctor said.
Trump, once such a coronavirus skeptic he called concerns about the fast-spreading pandemic a “hoax,” said at a news conference Saturday afternoon that he had been tested for the virus that has sparked worldwide panic.
“I also took the test last night. And I decided I should,” Trump said at a press conference that turned chaotic at times. “People were asking: ‘Did I take the test?’ ”
Trump’s doctor, Sean Conley, said he had “an in-depth discussion” with the president before he went ahead with the test. The results were released on Saturday evening.
Trump said his temperature was normal and that he is showing no symptoms of the dreaded virus even though he was exposed to at least two people who have tested positive. Conley confirmed that the exposure came when Trump dined with a Brazilian delegation at at Mar-a-Lago a week ago.
Vice President Mike Pence suggested he has not been tested yet and said he would confer with a doctor.
“Normal,” he whispered as he strode out of the briefing room, ignoring reporters shouting questions at him.
Trump tried at the news conference to strike a more serious tone about the crisis that has emptied store shelves and shut down schools nationwide.
But he made little effort to defend his decision to shake hands with business executives during a nationally televised press conference at the White House hours earlier.
“It almost becomes a habit and you [have to] get out of that habit,” Trump said. “People come up to me. They shake hands. They put their hand out. It’s sort of a natural reflex.”
Trump claimed he took the test Friday night. But in an announcement released just before midnight, the White House physician claimed that Trump had not been tested and did not need to take the test.
Pence did not explain why he has not been tested while Trump has.
Both Trump and Pence met with a
Brazilian official and an unidentified other person who have tested positive for coronavirus. They were both depicted in an Instragram post standing shoulder to shoulder with the infected official last weekend at Mar-a-Lago. Another unidentified person at the same event has also tested positive.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has selfquarantined after meeting the same Brazilian official. He said he thought Trump and Pence should take the same step.
Health guidelines say anyone who is exposed to a person who is infected with coronavirus should self-quarantine and avoid unnecessary contact with others, even if they show no symptoms. However, Trump and Pence have continued to physically interact freely with staff and others.
Trump sowed confusion about his administration’s policies on Saturday by saying the government was only “looking at” extending the European travel ban to the United Kingdom and Ireland. Less than 15 minutes later, Pence said the president had actually extended the ban.
Google has debunked Trump’s Friday claim that it is “very quickly” developing a national website to streamline access to coronavirus testing. It’s actually a small pilot site for San Francisco.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams suggested Saturday that reporters should focus on feel-good stories about people who have recovered from coronavirus and avoid “fingerpointing” and “looking backward.”