White House now conducting temperature checks amid COVID-19 outbreak
KRAKOW, POLAND - 2020/03/11: In this photo illustration a woman in a hygiene mask as a preventive measure against corona virus with a mercury thermometer. The first cases of coronavirus appeared in Poland. The prime minister decided to close nurserie
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House announced Saturday that it is now conducting temperature checks on anyone who is in close contact with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
The move is being taken out of an abundance of caution in response to the coronavirus outbreak, said Judd Deere, a White House spokesman.
Trump has had multiple direct and indirect contacts with people who have tested positive for the pandemic virus. On Friday, he declared a state of emergency as schools and workplaces across the country shuttered, flights were canceled and Americans braced for war against the health threat.
Trump spent time last weekend at his private club in Florida with at least three people who have now tested positive.
The Brazilian Embassy in Washington announced late Friday that the country's charge d'affaires, Nestor Forster, tested positive after sitting at Trump's dinner table.
So, too, have a top aide to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and an individual who attended a fundraiser Sunday with Trump, according to two Republican officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private health matters.
Trump has been known to flout public health advice -- and was eagerly shaking hands during an event Friday -- but acknowledged he "most likely" will be tested soon. The White House physician has indicated that Trump's interactions were low risk and testing was not necessary.
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