White House Has a Lot of Contact Tracing to Do

Mike Pence has tested negative for COVID
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 2, 2020 8:28 AM CDT
Mike Pence Tests Negative for Virus
President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence arrive at a campaign rally, Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, in Newport News, Va.   (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Mike Pence has tested negative for the coronavirus, his office says—but he is far from the only person in President Trump's orbit who will be getting tested following the president's diagnosis. "Vice President Pence and the Second Lady tested negative for COVID-19," Devin O'Malley, Pence's press secretary, tweeted Friday morning. O'Malley said Pence has been tested daily for months, the Indianapolis Star reports. The White House medical unit says it is currently conducting contact tracing. The president interacted with dozens of staff members, supporters, and others over a hectic week of campaigning prior to the diagnosis, the New York Times reports. NPR looks at Trump's movements in the week prior to the positive test, which included multiple White House events and visits to eight states.

Sources tell CNN that Joe Biden, who stood around 10 feet away from the president for 90 minutes during Tuesday night's debate, will be getting tested Friday morning. Epidemiologists say Trump may have been infectious for 48 hours before testing positive, potentially putting Biden at risk, the Guardian reports. "Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery," Biden tweeted Friday morning. "We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family." The Times notes that few of the president's family members and advisers who flew with him to the Cleveland debate—including Hope Hicks, whose positive test result was announced Thursday—appeared to wear masks or take other precautions during the trip. (More coronavirus stories.)

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