Vice President Mike Pence gestures as he speaks at a campaign rally at Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin on Friday. Photo / AP
Vice President Mike Pence gestures as he speaks at a campaign rally at Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin on Friday. Photo / AP
A coronavirus outbreak has hit the White House less than two weeks before November's election.
Earlier today, the White House revealed that a high up staff member had tested positive to the deadly coronavirus, sparking fears of a cluster close to the President.
The White House put out a statement informing the public that Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, had tested positive.
Bloomberg said that Marty Obst, Pence's senior political adviser, had also contracted the virus.
The New York Times reported that "up to five" people who work in Pence's office had returned positive tests.
The Vice President has already been tested and confirmed that he hasn't caught the virus, the White House said.
BREAKING: *2* of VP Pence’s aides, including Chief of Staff Marc Short has just tested positive for #COVID19. However, despite Pence being deem a close contact, Pence is not quarantining and will not be cancelling his campaign schedule!
"Today, Marc Short, Chief of Staff to the Vice President, tested positive for COVID-19, began quarantine and assisting in the contact tracing process," Pence's Press Secretary Devin O'Malley said in a statement.
"Vice President Pence and Mrs. Pence both tested negative for Covid-19 today, and remain in good health.
"While Vice President Pence is considered a close contact with Mr Short, in consultation with the White House Medical Unit, the Vice President will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel."
The news adds to the growing coronavirus cluster in the White House.
On October 8, the American Broadcasting Company reported 34 people had been infected, according to an internal memo sent to staff.
That number is now much higher.
As well as President Trump contracting the virus earlier this month, so has longtime aide Stephen Miller and Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Marc Short, chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence, speaks with reporters at the White House in Washington. Photo / AP
Marc Short is now added to that list.
It's now three: At least three top advisers to Mike Pence have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last few days. https://t.co/EFnnt3zFWJ
As revealed in the press statement, Pence won't let the diagnosis get in the way of performing his duties ahead of the presidential election, in nine days' time.
Pence leads the White House Coronavirus Task Force, causing many to wonder how seriously he is taking the disease if he's willing to jump straight back into the thick of things with two confirmed cases in his inner circle.
Pence delivers remarks at a campaign rally at Allegheny County Airport. Photo / AP
These concerns come just days after Trump was videoed driving around in his limousine, while he was still an active case of the coronavirus.
That prompted huge concerns that the president wasn't treating the virus as a deadly illness.
The coronavirus has taken the lives of 225,000 Americans so far. A further 8.64 million have been diagnosed with the disease this year.
Remarkable: VP’s chief of staff Marc Short has tested positive for coronavirus, is considered a close contact of the VP & yet Pence will “maintain his schedule” — which includes lots of travel & campaigning. pic.twitter.com/06Rm7Jm1lX
LATEST: Multiple aides in quarantine after Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, and one of his top political strategists, Marty Obst, both tested positive for coronavirus, sources tell me and @tylerpager. Aides worried Pence will be next person infected.https://t.co/lwhC27qvEM
UPDATE: The total of aides around Pence in the coronavirus outbreak is up to FIVE people. Short, Obst and 3 additional VP office staff, per ppl briefed https://t.co/GVaRLNfC7c
