The White House was dealt a heavy blow recently as it's being reported that a staffer to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for COVID-19. CNN reports that as of Monday (March 16), Vice President Pence had not been tested for coronavirus, but that may have changed during the days that followed.
Pence's press secretary Katie Miller issued a statement regarding the news. "This evening we were notified that a member of the Office of the Vice President tested positive for the Coronavirus," she said. "Neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual. Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines."
CNN also reports that two people who attended the recent American Israel Public Affairs Committee's Policy Conference in Washington also tested positive for COVID-19. Vice President Pence, along with other politicians, were present at the gathering. Deadline states that President Donald Trump has reportedly completed a coronavirus test and the result was negative, as was the test for his daughter Ivanka Trump.
Meanwhile, while initial quarantine mandates for the United States were set in place for approximately two weeks, the White House has stated that some effects from the COVID-19 pandemic could last as long as 18 months.