President Donald Trump met and dined with an individual who has now tested positive for the coronavirus—but the White House said the president will not get tested for the disease.
- Fabio Wajngarten, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s press secretary, has tested positive for Covid-19, according to local media, after returning to Brazil from the U.S. this week.
- Wajngarten was in close contact with both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence four days ago at Mar-a-Lago, posting an Instagram photo of himself standing next to Trump.
- Trump said he “isn’t concerned” about the situation, according to the Washington Post, and White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said, “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.”
- Senators Rick Scott and Lindsey Graham said they will self-quarantine after attending the same event as Wajngarten at Mar-a-Lago. Trump has not made a similar announcement.
Key background: Trump has also been in contact with two U.S. GOP Congressmen—Reps. Matt Gaetz and Doug Collins—who are currently in self-quarantine after being exposed to an individual who tested positive at the Conservative Political Action Conference in late February. Gaetz has since tested negative (Collins has said he does not feel symptomatic).
News peg: Trump has been criticized for downplaying the severity of the virus. He has continued shaking hands, the Associated Press reported, flouting the CDC’s recommendations. And two days ago he equated the disease to the common flu, even as a top health official said coronavirus is 10 times more deadly.
Forbes
