Hope Hicks, a close aide to President Trump, reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus days after traveling with the president.
Hicks, who was formerly the White House communications director but returned in February as a presidential adviser, is reportedly exhibiting symptoms of the virus, but there is no indication Trump contracted it. Hicks traveled with the president to and from the presidential debate Tuesday and to a rally in Minnesota.
“The president takes the health and safety of himself and everyone who works in support of him and the American people very seriously,” said White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere in reaction to the report.
“White House Operations collaborates with the physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible, both on complex and when the president is traveling,” the statement continued.
The president is tested often for the coronavirus, though aides have expressed concern that Trump’s rigorous campaign schedule might leave him particularly vulnerable.
There have been over 7.27 million people who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the United States, with over 207,000 deaths and 2.8 million recoveries, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
