White House officials may need to take “necessary preventive measures” to protect themselves from the coronavirus after hosting an infected adviser to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro over the weekend.
“The Brazilian government has already communicated the occurrence to United States government officials so that the necessary preventive measures can be adopted,” Bolsonaro’s press office said Thursday, per an unofficial translation.
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President Trump hosted Bolsonaro for a working dinner Saturday to discuss the Venezuela crisis and other avenues of partnership between the United States and Brazil, only to learn days later that one of the Brazilian leader’s top adviser had contracted in the coronavirus. The ailing aide, a communications officer, was photographed with Trump, but the White House does not believe the president needs to be tested.
“Both the president and vice president had almost no interactions with the individual who tested positive and do not require being tested at this time,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.
Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, decided to quarantine himself after learning that he had been “in the same room” as the communications official. “I am feeling healthy and not experiencing any symptoms at this time,” Scott announced Thursday.
The infected Brazilian staffer is quarantining himself at home “until he is no longer at risk of transmitting the disease,” according to the statement from the Brazilian government.
“The Medical Service of the Office of the President has been adopting all necessary precautionary measures to protect the health of the president and of the presidential delegation who accompanied him on a recent trip to the United States, as well as the health of the workers in the presidential palace,” Bolsonaro’s office also said.
