Donald Trump seems to be paying no heed to a still raging-pandemic as the president skips the first White House task force briefing in months, and takes the event out of the presidential mansion. Interestingly, the measures to protect him from contracting coronavirus have scaled up.
Trump is leaving no opportunity to bring up his rival Joe Biden's health during his presidential campaign, but has also voiced concern about contracting coronavirus and has pushed for measures to protect himself, despite refusing to wear a mask in public. On top of that, the president continues to agitate for big campaign rallies which could serve as a platform for the virus to spread.
When Trump visits a location with spiking coronavirus cases, the venue he is slated to enter is thoroughly checked for potential areas of contagion by a team of advanced security and medical experts, according to people involved in the arrangements. Bathrooms to be used by the president are scrubbed and sanitized before his arrival and the staff ensures people who will come into contact with him to make sure they receive tests.
The White House is on the verge of phasing out measures including temperature checks and compulsory mask-wearing in the West Wing, hinting at the country moving on, people likely to come in contact with the president still undergo testing on a regular basis. Even though Trump tries to downplay the pandemic by urging states to reopen businesses, despite the new surge, his own orbit is showing signs of a still-raging pandemic.
Several members of the president's staff have contradicted the virus this week, including a considerable number of campaign aides as well as US Secret Service personnel who were involved in the arrangement of Trump's Tulsa campaign rally. A report from CNN suggests a third White House staffer who was recently in contact with Trump has also tested positive for COVID-19.
Two sources familiar with the matter said the staffer is a senior economic official who accompanied Trump in the Rose Garden during an event. CNN did not reveal the name of the individual citing privacy concerns. Trump's political advisers and allies are concerned the president is attaching little importance to the ongoing pandemic, which continues to claim millions of lives worldwide.
In the wake of the surge, several states have decided to put a lid of their reopening plans. Trump, on the other hand, is bent on ostracizing the situation, which was evident when he opted not to attend the latest coronavirus task force briefing.