US officials confirm President Donald Trump has not been tested for the coronavirus
Americans are looking to Australians for guidance to prevent, identify and deal with the deadly coronavirus as officials confirm US President Donald Trump has not been tested for the infection.
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Guidance for Americans about how to deal with coronavirus has been based on research provided by Australian experts.
Dr Deborah Birx, who is co-ordinating the US response, and infectious disease specialist Dr Anthony Fauci used a White House briefing to urge Americans to follow a new set of guidelines to keep themselves safe.
They said the guidelines were based on Australian research.
“All of this came from a paper that Dr Fauci provided from the Australians,” Dr Birx said.
It came as US President Donald Trump said he would tomorrow announce “major” and “substantial” economic stimulus, possibly in the form of a “payroll tax” cut.
He also said loans for small business were also a possibility, to try to discourage workers who were sick from going into workplaces.
“We’re also going to be talking about hourly wage earners,” he said.
It has also been confirmed Mr Trump has not been tested for coronavirus despite growing concerns he was exposed to the disease.
Five Republicans have now placed themselves in quarantine after they interacted with a man who has been diagnosed with coronavirus at a conservative conference which Mr Trump attended 10 days ago.
They include Mr Trump’s newly announced chief of staff, Mark Meadows, another man who shook the President’s hand last Friday, and Matt Gaetz, who rode on Air Force One yesterday after spending the weekend with Mr Trump at his Florida golf resort, Mar a Lago.
“The President has not received COVID-19 testing because he has neither had prolonged close contact with any known confirmed COVID-19 patients, nor does he have any symptoms,” White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.
Ms Grisham said Mr Trump was “in excellent health, and his physician will continue to closely monitor him.”
CONGRESS MEMBERS QUARANTINED
Members of Congress who have had direct contact with President Donald Trump have also placed themselves in quarantine over coronavirus fears.
One of them shook the President’s hand and another rode on Air Force One – both after coming into contact with a person who is now confirmed to be suffering from the infection.
Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, and Matt Gaetz of Florida are now the third and fourth congressmen to self-quarantine following the same announcements from Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Paul Gosar of Arizona.
Mr Collins shook hands with Mr Trump when the President visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta last week. Mr Gaetz rode on Air Force Once with the President on Monday.
Mr Collins said he was told by the organisers of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference that they had found a photograph of Collins with a person who tested positive for coronavirus.
“While I feel completely healthy and I am not experiencing any symptoms, I have decided to self-quarantine at my home for the remainder of the 14-day period out of an abundance of caution,” Mr Collins said.
Mr Gaetz announced his own self-quarantine in a string of tweets, stating: “While the Congressman is not experiencing symptoms, he received testing today and expects results soon.”
“Under doctor’s usual precautionary recommendations, he’ll remain self-quarantined until the 14-day period expires this week,” the tweet said.
The Florida Republican, who spent the weekend at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, had donned a gas mask on the House floor just last week while he voted on a bill that would dedicate billions of dollars to combating coronavirus.
Concerns over President Donald Trump’s personal exposure to the coronavirus rose when it was revealed he shook hands with a man who had contact with someone infected with the virus.
Conservative Political Action Conference chairman Matt Schlapp conceded he made contact with a conference attendee who has since tested positive to the virus.
Mr Schlapp told Fox News that he had “incidental contact with [the attendee], very briefly,” adding that he spoke with the person via phone Saturday night and they were “on the mend.”
“I can verify that he had no contact with either the president or the vice president,” he added.
Schlapp also told the network the patient “didn’t spend a lot of time going all over the conference. He stayed more in a small area.”
The concern, however, is that during the event, Mr Schlapp shook hands with Mr Trump while the two shared the CPAC stage.
The CPAC chairman went on to say that there was no need to worry, as Trump was extremely careful about keeping himself close to the hand sanitiser.
While Mr Trump has been at pains to point out the coronavirus has had a much lower impact than the “common Flu” which he said killed 37,000 Americans last year, there are concerns that a number of key White House figures were at the same conference with him – and the virus may well now be in the halls of power.
TRUMP ‘EXPOSED TO VIRUS’ AT CONFERENCE
A person has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus after going to a conference attended by US President Donald Trump and members of his political team and his family.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said precautions were being taken, although she did not offer specifics.
Mr Trump was joined at the 2020 Conservative Political Action Conference by Vice President Mike Pence, first daughter Ivanka Trump, White House adviser Kellyanne Conway and Donald Trump Jr.
Also in attendance were Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The American Conservative Union announced that one person at the conservative gathering in National Harbor, Maryland, was diagnosed with the deadly virus after being exposed to COVID-19 prior to the event.
The ACU said the Trump administration “is aware of the situation” and will “continue regular communication with all appropriate government officials.”
In a statement, ACU said: “The exposure occurred previous to the conference.”
“Our children, spouses, extended family, and friends attended CPAC. During this time, we need to remain calm, listen to our health care professionals, and support each other. We send this message in that spirit.”
They added the person was tested in New Jersey and the positive case was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The ACU also noted that it has been in contact with the state of Maryland’s health department and would follow guidance from health experts.
ENDORSEMENTS KEEP FLOWING FOR FORMER VP JOE BIDEN
One-time highly rated Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Kamala Harris has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president.
She said Mr Biden “has served our country with dignity and we need him now more than ever.”
“I have decided I am with great enthusiasm going to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States. I believe in Joe,” she said.
“One of the things that we need right now is we need a leader who does care about the people and therefore can unify the people, and I believe Joe can do that.”
Mr Biden responded moments later on Twitter, thanking the California Democrat, whose own bid for the nomination petered out early in the race after poor debate performances.
“Kamala – You’ve spent your whole career fighting for folks who’ve been written off and left behind – and no small part of that alongside Beau,” the candidate said. “From our family: thank you.”
In her endorsement, Senator Harris said: “I am supporting Joe because I believe that he is a man who has lived his life with great dignity. He is a public servant who has always worked for the best of who we are as a nation. And we need that right now. There is so much at stake in this election, guys.”
Mr Biden picked up the endorsements of one-time Democratic presidential rivals Pete Buttigieg, Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and another one-time highly rated candidates who faltered early Beto O’Rourke of Texas.
Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg also threw his support behind Mr Biden after he withdrew from the race following a poor showing in the Super Tuesday contests.
Gaining endorsements from high-profile political figures is a big deal in US political races.
The question still being asked is when or if Mr Biden’s former boss, Barack Obama, will finally come out and give his formal backing to his one-time Vice President.
One-time frontrunner Elizabeth Warren has refused to formally endorse either Mr Biden or fellow left Bernie Sanders since she withdrew from the race.
Mr Sanders said on CNN he would welcome her support and described Mr Biden as a friend.
Originally published as US officials confirm President Donald Trump has not been tested for the coronavirus
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