Mar-a-Lago deals with potential cluster,
While President Donald Trump has said he’s “not concerned” about being exposed to the coronavirus at a Mar-a-Lago summit with Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro over the weekend, the club itself has quietly been taking precautions to combat the highly contagious virus.
“Throughout the property, you will notice that we have increased the number of hand sanitizer dispensers and continue our regimented cleaning processes to create an immaculate environment for you to enjoy,” Bernd Lembcke, the Palm Beach resort’s general manager, wrote in a March 11 email to members that was obtained by the Miami Herald. “We want to assure you of our proactive efforts so that the club remains your private escape from the outside world as your ‘home-away-from-home’ — we will continue to operate without disruption.
“Our cleaning procedures and policies are meticulously followed and executed by our staff and vendors,” Lembcke wrote. (An identical message was sent by the manager of Trump National Doral to that club’s members.)
Other changes have been more informal.
The club’s Tuesday prime rib buffet? It will now be à la carte, members have been told. Same with Wednesday night’s popular seafood buffet, where twopound lobsters are served “accompanied by a saxophonist under the stars,” in the words of the club’s website. It will now be an à la carte “Italian night,” according to a club email.
At least one private party at Mar-a-Lago has been postponed.
And some employees say they are concerned about coming to work after a member of Bolsonaro’s entourage tested positive on Thursday for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, followed by more positive tests. The Brazilian official came into contact with dozens of guests and staffers — as well as Trump and Vice President Mike Pence — in one of the club’s ballrooms.
On Friday, the organizers of a dog rescue charity event scheduled to take place at Mar-a-Lago and championed by Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara, announced that they would postpone a Saturday fundraiser.
Big Dog Rescue Ranch’s event was expected to draw as many as 700 peo
ple. The choice was “strictly [a] ranch decision,” said Chase Scott, a spokesman for the group, and not imposed by the club. Scott cited Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recommendation to limit crowd size to less than 250 people.
Mar-a-Lago depends on such events for revenue.
The club has said little publicly about the coronavirus incident. And communication from the club to members and staff has been limited, according to five sources familiar with Mar-a-Lago’s operations. There has been no official update about the exposure from the Bolsonaro summit, two members said. The coronavirus is especially dangerous for the elderly. Many of Mar-aLago’s members are advanced in years.
“They’re not telling anybody very much,” said Fred Rustmann, a Mar-aLago member.
But Rustmann, an 80year-old former CIA officer, added that he wasn’t concerned about the virus spreading at the club.
“My health is fine,” he said.
In response to questions from the Herald, the Trump Organization did not say if the club had performed a deep cleaning or what other measures it would take.
“The safety of our members and guests are of our utmost importance,” Eric Trump, the president’s son and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, said in a statement to the Herald. “We are monitoring all of our businesses closely and are following the guidelines provided by the CDC.”
Bolsonaro’s press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, who tested positive, was photographed Saturday standing close to Trump at the Bolsonaro summit. The status of Bolsonaro himself was cloaked in mystery. Initially it was reported in the Brazilian press that he tested positive. Then he posted a Facebook video, flexing his arm, saying he had tested negative. Then Brazil’s minister of health said he would be tested again.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham initially said that Trump, 73, had “almost no interactions” with Wajngarten and didn’t need to be tested for the virus. Friday night, the White House physician issued a memo saying the president had shown no symptoms and did not need to be tested.
Then on Saturday, during a news conference, Trump revealed that he had been tested the previous night. CNN reported Saturday that the results came back negative.
Other public officials who came into contact with Bolsonaro and his entourage included MiamiDade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who both entered self-quarantine. Suarez tested positive for the virus. Gimenez did not.
Gimenez and Suarez encountered Bolsonaro and his team elsewhere in South Florida.
Two other people who attended the Mar-a-Lago event have since tested positive, including Brazil’s acting ambassador to the United States, Nestor Forster.
On Friday, Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus.
Fearing exposure over the past weeks, some Mara-Lago members have already chosen to stay home rather than attend their usual dinners and activities at the club.
Jeff Greene, a major Florida real estate developer and club member, said a close-quarters dinner event like the one attended by Trump and Bolsonaro was an ideal place for germs to spread.
“If somebody goes to a place and tests positive, somebody else picked up his plate and his glass,” Greene said.
The global pandemic has hit South Florida’s tourism industry hard.
“This is really painful. If you’re in the hotel business, your two biggest months are February and March,” said Greene, who owns a luxury hotel in
Palm Beach. “That’s when you make most of your money for the whole year. We’re losing March.
“Who’s going to restaurants now?” Greene asked. “I’m trying to stay home as much as possible.”
Miami Herald staff writer Taylor Dolven and Francesca Chambers, McClatchy’s White House correspondent, contributed to this report.