On Tuesday, the White House announced plans to test all members of the press pool as part of increasing coronavirus precautions.
“Out of an abundance of caution and to further protect your health and safety as well as the entire complex, members of the restricted in-house pool should be ready in the briefing room at call time for a COVID-19 test to be administered in Lower Press by the White House Medical Unit,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said in a statement. “Moving forward, we expect to test members of the restricted in-house pool daily.”
The size of the pool has already been restricted, and various distancing measures have been put in place during President Donald Trump’s briefings. COVID-19 protections have escalated since White House staffers — including Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary — tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Temperature checks are also being performed on anyone in close proximity to either leader.
Even Trump and Pence have decided to keep a precautionary distance from one another for the “immediate future” on the advice of the White House medical unit. After Pence made the initial decision, Trump said he has “not seen him since then. But I would say that he will — he and I will be talking about that. Yeah, we could talk on the phone.”
Both the president and vice president are being tested daily.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.