US President Donald Trump has not been tested for coronavirus, the White House said in a statement. With the number of people in the US contracting coronavirus increasing, multiple lawmakers are self-quarantining.
Explaining the situation, the White House stated that President Trump has not come in contact with people with confirmed coronavirus infection. It also said that Trump is in excellent health and physicians will continuously monitor him. It said Trump does not have any symptoms of coronavirus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) coronavirus test is conducted when an individual has any symptoms and based on his/her exposure history.
The question of Trump testing for coronavirus was raised after Vice President Mike Pence said he has no idea if Trump has been tested for COVID-19.
He had said though he does not know the answer, he would arrange for a response from the White House. When the White House made the announcement, Trump was present but left the briefing room before he was asked any questions.
Among lawmakers, Republican members Doug Collins from Georgia and Matt Gaetz from Florida are self-quarantining. They were said to have been in close proximity with a person at a conservative conference held in February. The person in question has been confirmed to have tested positive.
The question on Trump's test was also raised as Collins was seen shaking hands with Trump and Gaetez rode the presidential limousine before Trump on Monday.
Another person who is under quarantine is Trump's incoming White House chief of staff Mark Meadows from North Carolina.
The US has recorded 729 confirmed cases of coronavirus as of March 10, with 25 new cases on March 10. The death toll is at 27. Globally, among coronavirus-hit countries, the US is in the eighth position in terms of number of confirmed cases of the virus.
Meanwhile, Italy has surpassed South Korea to become the second country with the highest number of COVID 19 cases. It is followed by South Korea, Iran, France, Spain and Germany. China still stands at the No 1 position with 80,761 confirmed cases and 3,136 deaths reported so far.
