Ten people in the United States President Donald Trump’s ‘camp’ have now tested positive for coronavirus, including his campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and his campaign adviser, Chris Christie.
Seven of them attended an event last weekend in the White House Rose Garden where President Trump announced his pick to be the next Supreme Court justice, Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Yesterday – before testing positive – Governor Christie told US media that no one had been wearing masks when he and others sat down with Trump to prepare for Tuesday’s televised debate with Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden.
“No one was wearing masks in the room when we were prepping the president during that period of time. And the group was about five or six people, in total,” he said.
They reportedly included his aide Hope Hicks – believed to be the first to show symptoms – and Mr Stepien.
Hicks, who reportedly started feeling symptoms on Wednesday, tested positive the next day.
Ohio declares day of prayer for Trump
Ohio’s Governor Mike DeWine has announced a day of prayer on Sunday for the president and his wife Melania.
It is also for “all those suffering from or impacted by coronavirus”, the Republican governor tweeted.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the US has recorded 7.3 million cases of the coronavirus and more than 208,000 deaths. Ohio has a death toll of nearly 5,000.
What happens if a president is too sick to work?
Mr Trump’s personal doctor said the president was working from the hospital where he is receiving treatment.
But what happens if a US President becomes too unwell to work?
Lawmakers have planned for this and put it into effect in the past. The 25th amendment to the constitution places the “powers and duties” of the office into the vice-president’s hands.
That would mean Vice-President Mike Pence would temporarily take charge. He has confirmed that he and his wife have tested negative for coronavirus.
