DC government unable to connect with White House on outbreak

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Donald Trump wearing a suit and tie: President Trump salutds as he stood on the Blue Room Balcony upon returning to the White House on Monday evening.


© Alex Brandon
President Trump salutds as he stood on the Blue Room Balcony upon returning to the White House on Monday evening.

President Trump made the stunning announcement that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19 early Friday. Here’s what we know:

♦ President Trump left Walter Reed Monday and urged people not to be “afraid” of COVID-19, the disease that has killed more than 200,000 Americans since the spring, as his doctors told reporters that he met discharge criteria but is not yet out of the woods.

♦ At least eight people who attended a White House ceremony on Sept. 26 have tested positive for COVID-19: the president, Melania Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Utah Senator Mike Lee, North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, Rev. John Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame, Chris Christie, and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.

♦ The state of New Jersey is conducting contact tracing after a more than 200 people were potentially exposed to COVID-19 following President Trump’s attendance at a fund-raiser at his golf resort in Bedminster last Thursday.

  1:05 a.m.  

DC government unable to connect with White House on outbreak

Associated Press

Officials with the Washington, D.C., Department of Health have been unsuccessful in trying to connect with the White House to assist with contact tracing and other protocols regarding the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak that has infected President Donald Trump and several senior staff members.

“We have reached out to the White House on a couple of different levels, a political level and a public health level,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday. She added that a D.C. health department representative who reached out to the White House “had a very cursory conversation that we don’t consider a substantial contact from the public health side.”

  8:09 p.m.  

Trump’s doctor leans on health privacy law to duck questions

Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s doctor leaned on a federal health privacy law Monday to duck certain questions about the president’s treatment for COVID-19, while readily sharing other details of his patient’s condition.

But a leading expert on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act said a more likely reason for Dr. Sean Conley’s selective disclosures appears to be Trump’s comfort level in fully revealing his medical information.

“That’s a little head-scratcher,” said Deven McGraw, a former career government lawyer who oversaw enforcement of the 1996 medical privacy statute. “It’s quite possible the doctor sat down with the president and asked which information is OK to disclose.”

At a press briefing at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Conley, the White House physician, reported the president’s blood pressure — a little high at 134/78 — and respiration and heart rates, which were both in the normal ranges.

But when reporters pressed for details on the results of lung scans and when Trump had last tested negative for COVID-19, the doctor demurred, citing HIPAA, as the law is commonly known.

  7:37 p.m.  

Trump arrives at White House, flashes a thumbs-up

Washington Post

President Donald Trump arrived at the White House on Monday night after ending his four-day stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where he was treated for the novel coronavirus.

As he left Walter Reed, Trump gave a thumbs up to reporters and ignored questions about how many White House staffers are sick and whether he is a “superspreader.”

“Thank you very much, everybody,” Trump said, giving a slight wave before heading into his motorcade and taking off for the White House in Marine One.

Shortly before leaving the hospital, Trump tweeted, “Will be back on the Campaign Trail soon!!!”

His doctor, Sean Conley, told reporters Monday afternoon that the president will be monitored closely at the White House and that the state of his health through the weekend will be the key to his recovery from the coronavirus.

  6:46 p.m.  

Trump pumps fist as he walks out of hospital

By The Associated Press

President Trump pumped his fist as he departed a military hospital after a three-day stay for the coronavirus.

A masked Trump walked out of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday evening toward a waiting SUV that carried him to Marine One for the short flight back to the White House. He said, “Thank you very much,” to the assembled reporters.

Even before he walked out the doors, he tweeted that he’d be back on the campaign trail soon.

The 74-year-old Trump was expected to continue his recovery at the White House, where he will be cared for around-the-clock by a team of doctors and nurses. He announced his coronavirus diagnosis early Friday.

His doctor, Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, told reporters earlier Monday that Trump remains contagious.

His return comes as the White House is still learning the extent of the outbreak that has sickened over a dozen close contacts of the president over the last week.

  5:30 p.m.  

‘I am enraged that he is minimizing the pandemic’ — doctors rip Trump for planned hospital exit

By Travis Andersen, Globe staff

Reaction from some medical experts was swift – and sharply critical – after President Trump tweeted Monday that he would leave Walter Reed in a matter of hours despite his COVID-19 diagnosis.

That didn’t sit well with Dr. Dara Kass, an associate clinical professor of emergency medicine at Columbia University.

“I don’t care that he is leaving the hospital at risk to himself,” Kass tweeted. “I am embarrassed that his doctors have been so clearly marginalized from making decisions. I am enraged that he is minimizing the pandemic that has killed over 200K and infected millions more.”

Loeffler tweets support of Trump amid COVID-19 battle

By Christina Prignano

Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler, who is facing a tough Senate race in Georgia, on Monday tweeted her support of President Trump, using a photoshopped gif of the president in a wrestling match with an animation of the virus to underscore her point.

The post elicited some jabs from Democrats and others who said it made light of a serious disease that has killed more than 200,000 Americans, and followed Trump’s tweet telling people not to fear the disease.

The clip of Trump participating in a Wrestlemania event has been used by supporters in the past, and in one instance Trump famously posted a version of it that featured him pummeling a CNN logo, which was widely denounced by critics.

Loeffler, a staunch Trump supporter, was appointed to her Senate seat last year after the resignation of Senator Johnny Isakson. She now faces a crowded field vying for the Senate seat that includes a fellow Republican, Doug Collins, and Democrats including Rev. Raphael Warnock and Matt Lieberman.

  3:48 p.m.  

Trump says he will leave Walter Reed Monday afternoon as doctors say he’s not ‘out of the woods’ yet

By Christina Prignano, Globe staff

In a tweet Monday, President Trump said he’s leaving Walter Reed Monday at 6:30 p.m. and urged people not to be “afraid” of COVID-19, the disease that has killed more than 200,000 Americans since the spring, as his doctors told reporters that he met discharge criteria but is not yet out of the woods.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sean Conley said it had been more than 72 hours since his last fever and that his oxygen levels were normal.

“Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet,” Conley said, his status supports his “safe return home.”

Trump’s health team again refused to disclose the findings of his lung scans as they update the public on his condition. Conley, the president’s physician, said that he’s “just not at liberty to discuss” the findings.

  2:14 p.m.  

Physician to give update on President Trump’s condition Monday afternoon

The Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s doctor will be delivering an update on the president’s condition later Monday afternoon at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Trump is undergoing treatment for a fourth day for COVID-19.

It has been more than 24 hours since Trump’s physicians last provided an update on his condition, though White House aides said Trump was hopeful to be discharged as soon as Monday afternoon.

Trump sent a number of all-caps tweets Monday morning encouraging supporters to vote, with just weeks until Election Day. But he hasn’t yet appeared in photos or videos released by the White House on Monday.

  1:31 p.m.  

Trump fund-raiser ‘borders on reckless,’ N.J. Governor Phil Murphy says

By Bloomberg News

President Donald Trump’s fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club “borders on reckless,” Governor Phil Murphy said.

At least 206 people who attended the events in Bedminster potentially were exposed to Trump, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus. State and local health officials are “still in the throes” of contacting the event attendees to warn them of the potential exposure to Covid-19, but “we need more cooperation from the administration,” Murphy said Monday on CNN.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” Murphy said later on CBS-TV’s “This Morning.” He said “it could be days” for attendees and club staff to test positive for the virus, and said all should self-quarantine.

In a series of tweets later Monday, Murphy said 206 people attended the Trump events in Bedminster, and 19 staff members were also potentially exposed. State officials were notifying them that they may have been exposed to coronavirus. He also said the state is investigating reports that the events did not comply with social distancing requirements.

  1:06 p.m.  

Two others from White House communications shop have contracted COVID-19

By Christina Prignano

Two of press secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s deputies have tested positive for coronavirus, CNN reported on Monday, shortly after news of McEnany’s positive test broke.

CNN’s Kaitlin Collins reported that the deputies tested positive, but did not identify them.

CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta also reported Monday that many employees in the White House press shop were working from home amid the apparent outbreak.

The White House is facing criticism for its efforts in mitigating the growing COVID-19 outbreak. Axios reported last week that the White House did not implement a mask-wearing mandate, even as several senior Trump administration and campaign officials contracted the virus.

  11:58 a.m.  

Biden on participating in next debate: ‘I’ll do whatever the experts say’

By Liz Goodwin

NEW CASTLE, DEL. — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Monday he’d leave it up to medical experts to determine whether it’s safe for him and President Trump to go ahead with their next scheduled debate after the president contracted COVID-19.

“I’ll do whatever the experts say is appropriate for me to do,” Biden told reporters before boarding a flight at New Castle Airport in Delaware for a campaign trip to Florida. Asked if there should be Plexiglas dividers between the candidates, he said, “I’m not an expert on it but I think we should be very cautious.”

Biden said if scientists determined that it’s safe to participate in the next debate, on Oct. 15 in Miami, then “that’s fine.”

He declined to discuss Trump’s health or his decision to take a short ride Sunday in an SUV outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to wave to supporters gathered outside.

“I’m reluctant to comment on the president’s health, what he’s doing or not doing,” Biden said. “I’ll leave that to the doctors.”

  11:30 a.m.  

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tests positive for COVID-19

By Christina Prignano

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday she has tested positive for the coronavirus.

McEnany is the latest member of President Trump’s inner circle to contract the disease. She said in a statement posted to Twitter that she tested positive Monday morning “while experiencing no symptoms.”

“With my recent positive test, I will begin the quarantine process and will continue working on behalf of the American people remotely,” she said in a statement.

  9:17 a.m.  

Meadows says Trump improved overnight; Doctors to evaluate him for possible release

By Bloomberg News

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said that Trump’s condition continued to improve overnight, and that the president is ready to return to a normal work schedule.

“We’re still optimistic that, based on his unbelievable progress,” he will be released, Meadows said in an interview with Fox News, adding that “that decision won’t be made until later today.”

Meadows said Trump’s condition continued to improve overnight and “the doctors will have an evaluation sometime late morning.”

“Obviously this is an important day,” he said. “The president continues to improve and is ready to get back to a normal work schedule.”

  Monday, Oct. 5 7:32 a.m.  

From hospital, President Trump blasts out a campaign tweetstorm

By Rob DeCola, Globe Staff

President Donald Trump unleashed a bevy of tweets Monday morning, encouraging Americans to vote and posting a laundry list of issues seemingly central to his campaign.

It began shortly after 6 a.m. Monday, with a tweet highlighting a quote apparently from a voter featured on Fox News’ Fox and Friends morning show. From there, Trump warned voters that if they “want a massive tax increase” that will “shut our economy and jobs down” than they should “vote Democrat.”

Focusing next specifically on voters in Virginia, Trump cast himself as “the only thing between you and your Second Amendment.” He further stated Virginia voters “better vote for your favorite President, or wave goodbye to low taxes and gun rights!”

Then Trump began a nearly half-hour-long tweetstorm of campaign issues, followed by a plea to “Vote!”

“Stock market highs!” “Strongest ever military.” “Law & order.” “Religious liberty.” “Biggest tax cut ever, and another one coming.” “401(K).” “Best V.A. ever. 91% approval rating.” “Space Force.” “Massive regulation cuts.” “Pro Life!” “Better & cheaper healthcare.” “Protect preexisting conditions.” “Fight the corrupt fake news media.” “Save our Second Amendment.” “Peace through strength (bring our soldiers home).”

  10:44 p.m.  

President Trump didn’t disclose first positive COVID-19 test, Wall Street Journal reports

By Lauren Booker, Globe Staff

After taking a rapid COVID-19 test on Thursday evening, President Trump didn’t mention his positive result when he made an appearance on Fox News later that evening, according to The Wall Street Journal’s source.

Instead, Trump said, “I’ll get my test back either tonight or tomorrow,” during the interview.

The president went on to reveal on Twitter that he was positive for COVID-19 on Friday at 1 a.m.

  10:06 p.m.  

Presidential memorabilia shop introduces ‘Trump Defeats COVID’ art coins

By Brittany Bowker, Globe Staff

The White House Gift Shop, which is not affiliated with the US government or the White House, announced a new line of “commemorative art coins” to honor President Trump and his battle against COVID-19.

The art coins, which are formally known as “Historic Moments in World History Coin Art,” were created by designer Anthony Giannini as part of a series of coins that chronicles historic moments in the presidency of Donald Trump, according to the White House Gift Shop website.

The new coin design is informed by “superhero graphic art,” Giannini wrote in a statement. “President Trump, as you know, is a fan of boxing, and the new design includes more than a hint of superhero qualities … ”

The coin is considered the final coin in the phase of the collection “at least for President Trump’s first term,” the designer continued.

The coins, which are listed at $100, are available for pre-sale and orders ship on Nov. 14, according to the website. The first 1,500 orders receive a complimentary presidential blue PPE mask, and 20 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center for COVID Prevention.

Clarification: This entry was updated to make clear the White House Gift Shop is not affiliated with the White House.

  7:45 p.m.  

Biden tests negative for third time after debate, campaign says

By The Washington Post

Joe Biden tested negative for the coronavirus for the third time since he was potentially exposed at last week’s debate, his campaign said Sunday.

The former vice president, 77, stood more than 6 feet from President Donald Trump for 90 minutes Tuesday night, two days before the president announced that he had tested positive. Studies suggest that people may be most likely to spread the virus during the 48 hours before they start to experience symptoms.

The Democratic nominee is not yet in the clear, however, because most people incubate the virus for two to 14 days before testing positive or showing symptoms. Johns Hopkins University researchers have reported that PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, tests for the coronavirus are most likely to come back positive eight days after exposure to the virus.

  6:46 p.m.  

Attorney General William Barr to self-quarantine

By The Associated Press

Attorney General William Barr will self-quarantine out of caution after President Donald Trump and several other lawmakers and aides tested positive for the coronavirus.

Justice Department spokesperson Kerri Kupec said Sunday that Barr has had four COVID-19 tests since Friday, and all have come back negative. She said he will self-quarantine for several days out of an abundance of caution.

Barr attended one meeting at Justice Department headquarters on Friday and stayed home during the weekend, except to be tested. He plans to remain home for several days.

Barr attended the White House event for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett last weekend and was seen on video having a conversation with former Trump aide Kellyanne Conway, who has tested positive for coronavirus. Neither was wearing a mask.

  6:45 p.m.  

Trump expresses interest in returning to the campaign trail

By The Associated Press

President Donald Trump is itching to get back out onto the campaign trail — and even attend the second presidential debate — if his doctors clear him to travel.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Fox News that Trump is “very hopeful about getting out there in short order when the doctors deem it appropriate.”

Trump tested positive for the coronavirus late Thursday, two days after debating Democratic nominee Joe Biden in Cleveland and two weeks to the day before their next scheduled face-off in Miami.

He has been hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Friday afternoon. He briefly left the hospital Sunday, riding in a vehicle to greet supporters gathered outside.

  5:36 p.m.  

Trump briefly leaves hospital for drive-by greeting, waves at supporters

By The Associated Press

President Donald Trump briefly left the military hospital where he is being treated for COVID-19, riding in a vehicle to greet supporters gathered outside.

Trump departed the hospital in an armored SUV and remained in the vehicle as he drove past a flag-waving and cheering crowd outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Trump teased his surprise departure in a brief video posted to his Twitter page.

“I also think we’re going to pay a little surprise to some of the great patriots that we have out on the street,” he said, after thanking the doctors at the facility.

Trump did not alert the pool of reporters who are supposed to travel with him before leaving the hospital.

More than seven months into the coronavirus pandemic, in which he has faced bipartisan criticism for playing down the disease, Trump said in the video that he had “learned a lot” about the virus getting it himself.

“I learned it by really going to school,” he said. “This is the real school, this isn’t the ‘let’s read the books’ school. And I get it and I understand it. And it’s a very interesting thing.”

  1:55 p.m.  

Pelosi says Trump’s doctors need to be honest

By The Associated Press

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the doctors treating President Donald Trump for the coronavirus must provide trustworthy information to the public.

Pelosi said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation”: “We need to have trust that what they’re telling us about the President’s condition is real.”

Her interview aired before the president’s medical team held a news conference at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he is receiving treatment.

Pressed about the conflicting information he and the White House released the day before, Navy Commander Dr. Sean Conley, Trump’s doctor, acknowledged Sunday that he had tried to present a rosy description of the president’s condition. Conley also said Trump’s blood oxygen level dropped suddenly twice in recent days, but he “has continued to improve” since then.

Pelosi says she’s worried that the information the doctors are relaying to the public “has to be approved by the president. That’s not very scientific.”

  1:54 p.m.  

Pence tests negative for COVID-19

By The Associated Press

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, have tested negative again for the coronavirus days after President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were diagnosed with COVID-19.

A Pence spokesperson confirmed Sunday’s negative tests.

Despite the president’s hospitalization, Pence is expected to resume regular campaigning this week with no changes to protocols meant to keep him from getting infected.

Pence is set to debate Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

  Sunday, Oct. 4 12:54 p.m.  

Trump’s doctor says he was trying to reflect president’s ‘upbeat’ attitude

Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s physician said he was trying to “reflect the upbeat attitude” of the president and his medical team when he declined to share Saturday that Trump was placed on oxygen the day before.

Dr. Sean Conley was pressed Sunday on why his rosy picture of the president’s health was contradicted moments later by White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who expressed that the medical team was very concerned with the president’s health Friday morning when he experienced a drop in his blood oxygen levels and had a high fever.

Said Conley: “I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude of the team, that the president, that his course of illness has had.”

He added that he “didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction. And in doing so, came off like we’re trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true.”

  11:55 p.m.  

Director of Oval Office Operations Nick Luna tests positive for COVID-19

By Jennifer Jacobs and Justin Sink, Bloomberg

White House aide Nick Luna, who serves as a personal attendant to President Donald Trump, has tested positive for coronavirus infection, according to people familiar with the matter.

Luna’s diagnosis emerged a little more than 24 hours after Trump entered the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment of COVID-19 following his own infection.

Known as one of Trump’s so-called body men, Luna is the latest member of Trump’s inner circle of White House personnel to contract coronavirus. Hope Hicks, one of the president’s closest advisers, fell ill on Wednesday while traveling with Trump to Minnesota.

Luna, who runs Oval Office operations for the White House, accompanied Trump on his trip to Cleveland for the presidential debate on Tuesday and was also aboard Air Force One on the Minnesota trip when Hicks first began experiencing symptoms.

Luna was one of the aides who had planned to accompany Trump on Thursday to a fund-raiser at the president’s golf course in Bedminster, N.J., but stayed behind because of recent close contact with Hicks.

The White House press office had no immediate comment.

Earlier this year, Luna married Cassidy Dumbauld, an assistant to White House senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.

In his job as a body man, Luna travels closely with the president, holding papers and helping keep Trump’s schedule.

In addition to Luna and Hicks, the president’s reelection campaign manager Bill Stepien, 2016 campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, and a number of prominent Republican lawmakers and officials have tested positive since Thursday.

  10:05 p.m.  

Doctor says Trump ‘not yet out of the woods’

By The Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s main doctor says in a health update that the medical team treating the president is “cautiously optimistic,” but also notes that the president is “not yet out of the woods.”

The latest assessment came Saturday night from Dr. Sean Conley. He reported that Trump had been up and around at his medical suite during the day and had been conducting business.

Medical experts say the disease caused by the virus, COVID-19, can become more dangerous as the body responds to the infection over time.

Trump is expected to remain at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for several more days. In a video Saturday from his hospital quarters, Trump says he is feeling better and hopes to “be back soon.”

  9:10 p.m.  

Biden aides say COVID results will be released

By The Associated Press

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign is committing to releasing the results of all future COVID-19 tests the candidate takes.

Biden spokesman Andrew Bates repeated Saturday evening that the former vice president is tested “regularly.” But before President Donald Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis earlier this week Biden had not disclosed full details of his testing protocol or the results of each test.

Biden told reporters Saturday in Wilmington, Del., that he was not tested earlier in the day but would be tested Sunday morning. His campaign said he tested negative for COVID twice on Friday.

Bates said in the statement that Biden was not in “close contact” with Trump, his family members, or his aides during their debate Tuesday night. Several people in Trump’s orbit have tested positive in recent days.

Biden’s campaign also emphasized in its latest statement that Biden and his campaign for months has followed public health guidelines on wearing masks and social distancing. At the same time, Trump has held large public rallies without requiring masks or enforcing social distancing.

  7:16 p.m.  

Trump says ‘I think I’ll be back soon’ in new hospital video

By Lauren Booker, Globe Staff

President Trump sent a tweet saying that he thinks he will “be back soon” on Saturday evening.

“I came here, wasn’t feeling so well. I feel much better now,” Trump said in the video. “We’re working hard to get me all the way back.”

He praised the doctors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and called the therapeutics he was administered “miracles.”

He said he didn’t want to stay in the White House and that he wanted to be “out front.”

  6:37 p.m.  

Biden skips testing Saturday, plans test Sunday

By The Associated Press

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says he was not tested for the coronavirus on Saturday but will undergo such screening on Sunday.

After attending Saturday evening Catholic Mass in Wilmington, Del., Biden was asked if he’d undergone testing for the virus that day and replied, “No, but I will tomorrow morning.”

Biden’s campaign has not announced any public events for its candidate on Sunday.

The former vice president said he underwent two coronavirus tests on Friday and both came back negative.

President Donald Trump has been hospitalized with the virus and Biden was potentially exposed during Tuesday night’s presidential debate in Cleveland. Biden hasn’t commented on the possibility of going into quarantine but said Saturday he was praying for Trump’s “quick and full recovery.”

  5:58 p.m.  

Chris Christie enters hospital after testing positive for COVID-19

By Peter Bailey-Wells, Globe Staff

In a tweet Saturday afternoon, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie said he had checked into a New Jersey hospital following his positive test for COVID-19. Christie said in the tweet that the move was in part due to his history of asthma.

He wrote that he was “feeling good” but experiencing mild symptoms.

  3:58 p.m.  

Memo from the White House clarifies doctor’s statements

By Lauren Booker, Globe Staff

After the news briefing at Walter Reed hospital, the White House sent a memo that corrected remarks by Dr. Sean Conley, President Trump’s physician, saying that Conley’s use of phrases “seventy two hours” to “day three” and “forty eight hours” to “day two,” in reference to president’s diagnosis and when he was administered polyclonal antibody therapy.

“The President was first diagnosed with COVID-19 on the evening of Thursday, October 1st and had received Regeron’s antibody cocktail on Friday, October 2nd,” as stated in the memo sent Saturday afternoon.

  3:40 p.m.  

President Trump tweets that he’s “feeling well”

By The Associated Press

President Donald Trump says he’s “feeling well” and has voiced his appreciation for the medical professionals treating him for COVID-19 at a military hospital.

On Saturday, Trump tweeted, “Doctors, Nurses and ALL at the GREAT Walter Reed Medical Center, and others from likewise incredible institutions who have joined them, are AMAZING!!!”

He also says, “With their help, I am feeling well!”

It comes as White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Trump went through a “very concerning” period Friday and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care.

Trump’s doctors painted a rosy picture of the president’s health in a press conference at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. But the briefing raised more questions than it answered.

The White House says Trump is expected to stay at the hospital for “a few days” and would continue to work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to keep up his official duties.

  12:33 p.m.  

Senate cancels work as lawmakers contract virus

By The Associated Press

Senate Republicans have canceled legislative work until Oct. 19 as the coronavirus sweeps through their ranks and lawmakers increasingly call for comprehensive testing on Capitol Hill.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement Saturday that confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett are still on.

One by one, President Donald Trump and a series of GOP lawmakers have fallen ill with the virus that has killed more than 208,000 Americans.

Over the last week, many of the politicians who tested positive attended events at which few people wore masks and mingled in the halls and tunnels of the Capitol complex.

Just since Friday morning, Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Lee of Utah, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin announced that they have tested positive.

The Senate was to reconvene this week ahead of its confirmation proceedings for Barrett. McConnell has said those hearings, scheduled to begin Oct. 12, are “full steam ahead.”

  12:25 p.m.  

Chris Christie says he has tested positive for coronavirus

By The Associated Press

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie tested positive for COVID-19, he tweeted Saturday morning — the latest in a string of virus cases connected to President Donald Trump’s inner circle.

Christie said that he will be receiving medical attention and “will keep the necessary folks apprised of my condition.”

He did not say whether he had symptoms.

  10:59 a.m.  

Trump’s physician gives update on his condition, says he’s doing ‘very well’

By Christina Prignano

President Trump’s physician on Saturday said the president is doing “very well” and said his cough and fatigue are “now resolving and improving.”

Dr. Sean Conley, the president’s physician, gave an update on his condition outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and raised questions about the date of the president’s diagnosis, telling reporters that it was “72 hours into the diagnosis.”

Conley denied reports that Trump has experienced difficulty breathing, telling reporters he had a cough but no trouble breathing.

Dr. Sean Dooley, another physician, said Trump was not experiencing any complications and has been fever-free for over 24 hours.

But a source familiar with the president’s health told the White House press pool painted a far less rosy picture of Trump’s health.

“The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery,” the person said.

Trump told doctors that, “I feel like I could walk out of here today.” Doctors would not say when he would be clear to leave the hospital, citing the need to monitor for any complications.

Doctors would not disclose the date of Trump’s most recent negative COVID-19 test.

  9:56 a.m.  

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson tests positive for COVID-19, according to report

Associated Press

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson says he’s tested positive for the coronavirus.

Johnson’s office announced the diagnosis in a statement Saturday morning. He’s the third Republican senator to report a positive test this week, following Utah Sen. Mike Lee and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis. Johnson’s announcement is adding to the swirl of tension in Washington since President Donald Trump announced his positive test Friday.

Johnson, a second-term Republican, had reported exposure last month to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, and quarantined for 14 days without developing symptoms. Johnson said he tested negative twice during that time. He returned to Washington on Sept. 29 and said he was exposed soon after that to someone who tested positive. Johnson said he was tested Friday afternoon after learning of the exposure, and tested positive.

Johnson said he feels healthy and doesn’t have symptoms, but will isolate until cleared by his doctor.

  Saturday, Oct. 3 12:28 a.m.  

Trump’s campaign manager tests positive for COVID-19

By Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh has confirmed the news, which was first reported by Politico.

Politico said Stepien received his diagnosis Friday and is experiencing “mild flu-like symptoms.”

Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, also announced Friday that she had tested positive, joining Trump, the first lady, top Trump aide Hope Hicks and numerous others.

Stepien, who joined Trump at Tuesday’s first presidential debate, plans to quarantine until he recovers.

  11:47 p.m.  

White House physician says Trump is doing ‘very well,’ is taking antiviral drug Remdesivir

By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff

In a statement released late Friday night, Sean Conley, President Trump’s physician, said the president is doing “very well” and is taking Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug Remdesivir, having already completed his first dose.

The president “is not requiring any supplemental oxygen” since he was brought to Walter Reed hospital earlier in the day, the statement said.

  10:27 p.m.  

Kellyanne Conway tests positive for COVID-19

By The Associated Press

President Trump’s former adviser Kellyanne Conway said late Friday that she has tested positive for the coronavirus, days after attending a White House event with several others who have since come down with COVID-19.

Conway tweeted Friday that she has a “light cough” and is “feeling fine.” “I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians,” she added.

Conway attended the Rose Garden announcement Saturday where President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Among the attendees, Republican Sens. Mike Lee and Thom Tillis, the president of the University of Notre Dame, as well as Trump himself and his wife, Melania, tested positive Friday for the coronavirus.

  8:58 p.m.  

GOP Sen. Tillis of North Carolina tests positive

By The Associated Press

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Tillis said in a statement Friday night that his rapid antigen test showed that he is infected. He issued the statement as President Donald Trump was being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for the same illness.

Tillis, who is up for reelection in November, is the latest person to be diagnosed with the infection after attending the Supreme Court nomination ceremony in the White House Rose Garden for Amy Coney Barrett. Tillis was wearing a mask at the ceremony.

He is the second member of the Senate Judiciary Committee to test positive. Just a few hours earlier, Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah announced that he, too, is infected.

Tillis is routinely seen on Capitol Hill wearing a mask. He says he has no symptoms but will be isolating.

  8:07 p.m.  

Senators can attend top-court hearings virtually

By The Associated Press

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham says senators can participate virtually in upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearings after President Donald Trump and other lawmakers tested positive for the coronavirus.

Graham tweeted Friday evening that “Any Senator who wants to participate virtually will be allowed to do so.”

Graham’s message came out as Trump traveled to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for treatment at the advice of his doctors. His doctors say he is experiencing mild symptoms.

Graham said he had been tested for COVID-19 following his interaction with fellow Judiciary Committee member Republican Sen. Mike Lee, who has tested positive.

Graham said his test for the coronavirus was negative. He said Lee is “in good spirits and on the mend” and expects to be back to work with the committee by Oct. 12, set as the date for the beginning of the confirmation process.

  6:53 p.m.  

Trump arrives at Walter Reed, releases video

By The Associated Press

President Donald Trump has arrived at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and released a video saying that he thinks he’s “doing very well.”

Marine One landed near the military hospital on Friday evening, and Trump was driven to the large complex. White House officials say that the visit is precautionary and that Trump will work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to continue his official duties.

When he walked out of the White House, he was wearing a mask and gave a thumbs-up to reporters. He also released a video on Twitter, saying, “I think I’m doing very well, but we’re going to make sure that things work out.”

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that Trump “remains in good spirits, has mild symptoms, and has been working throughout the day.”

Shortly before he departed for the hospital, his personal physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said in a memo issued by the White House that he had received an experimental antibody cocktail.

  6:27 p.m.  

Trump walks to Marine One, gives thumbs up

By The Associated Press

President Donald Trump has appeared in public for the first time since his COVID-19 diagnosis, giving a thumbs up before he boarded Marine One for a military hospital.

Trump walked out of the White House to the helicopter Friday evening on his way to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The White House says Trump will spend a “few days” at a military hospital on the advice of his physicians after contracting COVID-19.

The White House says that the visit is precautionary and that Trump will work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to continue his official duties.

Earlier Friday the White House said Trump remains “fatigued” and had been injected with an experimental antibody drug combination for the virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans and spread to the highest reaches of the U.S. government.

  6:16 p.m.  

Official: Biden campaign taking down attack ads

By The Associated Press

Joe Biden’s campaign is taking down its attack ads in the wake of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus infection.

That’s according to a Biden campaign official who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Friday to discuss internal planning.

The Democrat’s campaign is removing all its negative ads, although in some cases, it may take days for ads already in circulation to stop running. The official says Biden made the decision before news surfaced that Trump was being transferred to a military hospital for a “few days” of treatment.

At least so far, Trump’s campaign has not begun removing any of its attack ads against Biden.

The presidential election is just over one month away.

  6:14 p.m.  

Barack Obama sends his “best wishes” to the president

By The Associated Press

Former President Barack Obama is extending his “best wishes” to President Donald Trump following his coronavirus diagnosis.

Obama said Friday that even during “big political battles” it’s important to remember that “we’re all Americans, and we’re all human beings.”

He spoke during a virtual fundraiser with Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Obama says he and his wife, Michelle Obama, hope for a speedy recovery for the Trumps and anyone who has been affected by coronavirus around the country. First lady Melania Trump also tested positive for the coronavirus.

Harris says she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, share their “deepest prayers” for the Trumps.

“Let it be a reminder to all of us that we must remain vigilant and take care of ourselves and take care of each other,” she said.

Their comments came amid news that Trump will be taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a “few days” on the advice of his doctors.

  5:26 p.m.  

Trump going to hospital on advice of doctors

By The Associated Press

The White House says President Donald Trump will spend a “few days” at a military hospital on the advice of his physicians after contracting COVID-19.

Trump is to depart the White House by helicopter early Friday evening for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The White House says that the visit is precautionary and that Trump will work from the hospital’s presidential suite, which is equipped to allow him to continue his official duties.

Earlier Friday the White House said Trump remains “fatigued” and had been injected with an experimental antibody drug combination for the virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans and spread to the highest reaches of the U.S. government.

  4:59 p.m.  

Biden: Trump diagnosis demonstrates virus threat

By The Associated Press

Democrat Joe Biden says President Donald Trump testing positive for the coronavirus is a “bracing reminder” of the seriousness of the virus. He also says he’s received two tests, and both came back negative.

Speaking at an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday, Biden said he received a test in Delaware and one from “the former White House doctor” who came up to Delaware to administer the test, “and everything’s clear.”

The president said early Friday that he and his wife, Melania Trump, had tested positive for coronavirus. Biden was tested after spending nearly 90 minutes onstage with the president during their debate earlier this week.

Biden said he wished the president and the first lady a full recovery and that “this is not a matter of politics.” Biden said it was a “reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. It is not going away automatically.”

  4:40 p.m.  

White House doctor: Trump is receiving an experimental antibody cocktail treatment

By The Associated Press

President Donald Trump’s doctor says Trump is being treated with an experimental drug aimed at supplying antibodies to help fight his coronavirus infection.

Antibodies are proteins the body makes when an infection occurs. They attach to a virus and help it be eliminated. But it can take weeks for them to form. The drugs are purified versions of ones that seemed to work best in lab and animal tests.

Trump is receiving a two-antibody combo drug that’s currently in late-stage studies from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. The company previously developed a successful treatment for Ebola using a similar approach.

It’s given as a one-time treatment through an IV.

Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Conley, said the drug was being given “as a precautionary measure,” and that Trump also was taking zinc, vitamin D, an antacid called famotidine, melatonin and aspirin. None of those have been proven to be effective against COVID-19.

Trump apparently is not receiving hydroxychloroquine, a drug he widely promoted that has been shown in many studies to be ineffective for preventing or treating COVID-19.

  4:36 p.m.  

Pelosi tests negative for COVID-19

By Lauren Booker, Globe staff

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tested negative for COVID-19, according to deputy chief of staff to Pelosi Drew Hammill.

Hammill wrote on Twitter that Pelosi was tested “out of an abundance of caution.”

  3:24 p.m.  

11 positive virus cases related to debate setup

By The Associated Press

Cleveland officials say they’re aware of 11 positive coronavirus cases related to the setup and planning for Tuesday’s presidential debate.

The city said in a statement Friday that it’s working with state and federal officials and is involved with interviewing those who tested positive.

Earlier Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he and the first lady had tested positive for COVID-19. Both traveled to Cleveland on Tuesday for the first presidential debate of the campaign. It’s unclear where they contracted the virus.

Cleveland officials say most of the cases stemming from the pre-debate planning and setup involved people from out of state. They say health officials are now looking into their travels.

  3:21 p.m.  

Sen. Elizabeth Warren wishes president and first lady a “quick and safe recovery”

By Lauren Booker, Globe Staff

On Twitter Friday afternoon, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren shared her thoughts and well wishes for the recovery of the Trumps, White House staff, and those who have come into contact with the president.

She also sent her thoughts to Americans who have survived COVID-19 or been affected by the virus, and noted that the virus has taken more than 200,000 Americans lives, including a “disproportionate number in Black and Brown communities.”

Later in the message, she brought up President Trump’s previous comments and actions regarding the coronavirus.

“The President spent months undermining the work of our doctors and scientists, while he failed to help states and communities contain the outbreak,” Warren wrote.

She ended her message by emphasizing that “COVID-19 is deadly.”

  3:12 p.m.  

White House virus protocol not changing despite diagnoses

By The Associated Press

The White House does not appear to be making any changes to current virus protocol, even after President Donald Trump and the first lady tested positive for COVID-19.

A senior White House official said Friday that masks will still not be mandatory at the White House, describing facial coverings as “a personal choice,” despite overwhelming evidence that they help to stop the spread.

And the White House is not planning to move to a different, more reliable testing system after the one it uses failed to detect that adviser Hope Hicks had the virus the day she began experiencing symptoms.

The president, his White House and his campaign have generally taken a lax approach to the pandemic, continuing to hold large events and failing to abide by social distancing recommendations.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House thinking, defended the current system.

  3:11 p.m.  

Vice presidential debate to continue as planned

By The Associated Press

The vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris next week will go on as scheduled after President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday.

An official with the Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed that no changes are anticipated to the Wednesday night debate in Salt Lake City. Both Pence and Harris underwent tests for the coronavirus on Friday and tested negative.

Pence’s physician said in a memo that the vice president was not considered a “close contact” of anyone infected with COVID-19 and was not required to quarantine.

“Vice President Mike Pence remains in good health and is free to go about his normal activities,” said Navy Lt. Commander Dr. Jesse Schonau in a statement.

  2:33 p.m.  

Pence’s physician says he doesn’t need to quarantine

By Lauren Booker, Globe staff

White House physician Dr. Jesse T. Schonau released a statement saying that vice president Mike Pence has tested negative for COVID-19, and that he “does not need to quarantine.”

The memorandum sent by Schonau says Pence “remains in good health and is free to go about his normal activities.”

“Under the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Vice President is not considered a close contact with any individuals who have tested positive for COVID, including President Donald J. Trump. Vice President Mike Pence does not need to quarantine,” Schonau said in the statement.

The CDC’s guidelines say that those who have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 should quarantine, and defines “close contact” as being within 6 feet of someone with the virus for 15 or more minutes, being in direct physical contact with the person, or if the person has gotten respiratory droplets on them.

The center recommends that the person stay at home for 14 days after contact is made.

  2:26 p.m.  

Joe Biden to deliver remarks at 4:30 in Grand Rapids, Michigan

By Lauren Booker, Globe staff

Former vice president Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Grand Rapids, Mich., on Friday at 4:30 p.m..

He is planning to talk about his plans for the economy.

  2:18 p.m.  

Chris Wallace, who moderated debate, will take a COVID-19 test, and urges Fox viewers to ‘wear the damn mask’

By Hayley Kaufman, Globe staff

Three days after the first presidential debate, President Trump has tested positive for COVID-19, while Joe Biden tested negative on Friday. But what of the third man on the stage Tuesday night, debate moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace?

Now he’s getting tested, too.

“You can bet — I’ve already been asked by a lot of people — I’m going to have to get a test,” Wallace said Friday on “Fox & Friends.”

  2:10 p.m.  

Amy Coney Barrett was diagnosed with COVID-19 this summer but since recovered

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett was diagnosed with the coronavirus earlier this year but has since recovered, three officials familiar with her diagnosis told The Washington Post.

Two of the officials said she tested positive for the virus in the summer. All of the people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose her medical condition. The White House declined to comment on Barrett’s earlier diagnosis.

As the Supreme Court nominee, Barrett is now tested daily and most recently had a negative diagnosis for COVID-19 on Friday morning, according to deputy White House press secretary Judd Deere.

  1:51 p.m.  

Trump campaign announces that upcoming events will be postponed or moved to virtual events

By Christina Prignano, Globe staff

The Trump campaign announced on Friday that in the wake of the president’s COVID-19 diagnosis, all of his upcoming campaign events would either be postponed or held virtually.

“All previously announced campaign events involving the President’s participation are in the process of being moved to virtual events or are being temporarily postponed. In addition, previously announced events involving members of the First Family are also being temporarily postponed. All other campaign events will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we will make any relevant announcements in the days ahead,” the statement said. “Vice President Mike Pence, who has tested negative for COVID-19, plans on resuming his scheduled campaign events. Any further information about the President will come from the White House.”

The announcement from the campaign followed news from the Biden campaign that the former vice president would continue with his campaign stop through Michigan after testing negative for COVID-19 Friday.

  1:37 p.m.  

Will COVID-19 outbreak derail Trump’s Supreme Court pick?

By Victoria McGrane, Globe staff

The coronavirus outbreak gripping the White House spread to Capitol Hill on Friday morning, raising the prospect that the virus could disrupt Republican plans to push forward with plans to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court before the November election.

Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, reported via Twitter Friday that he had just tested positive for the potentially-deadly disease.

Lee vowed in his statement that he would isolate for 10 days and “be back to work in time to join my Judiciary Committee colleagues in advancing the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett.”

  1:30 p.m.  

President of Notre Dame tests positive for coronavirus

By Christina Prignano

The president of Notre Dame, Rev. John Jenkins, announced on Friday that he has tested positive for coronavirus, according to several news reports. Jenkins attended the White House event announcing Amy Coney Barrett as Trump’s Supreme Court pick on Saturday, and was seen shaking hands with other attendees without a mask.

Jenkins has since apologized for his actions. Notre Dame officials said he recently learned a colleague he had been in contact with had tested positive, and sought a test. According to the statement, Jenkins has mild symptoms and will isolate.

  12:22 p.m.  

Joe Biden tests negative for COVID-19

By Christina Prignano

Former vice president Joe Biden has tested negative for COVID-19, just days after he stood on the same debate stage with President Trump, who has tested positive.

According to a statement from Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s personal physician, Biden, and his wife, Jill, have each tested negative.

“Vice president Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden underwent PCR testing for COVID-19 today and COVID-19 was not detected,” a statement from O’Connor said. Biden also tweeted the news.

Earlier Friday, Biden released a statement offering thoughts and prayers to the first family.

Biden is moving ahead with his campaign schedule, according to a pool report. He is scheduled to make a campaign stop in Michigan as part of a swing through the midwest.

  11:52 a.m.  

Senator Mike Lee of Utah says he’s tested positive for COVID-19

Senator Mike Lee said that he was experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and said he would isolate for the next 10 days after receiving a positive test. Lee, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Judge Amy Coney Barrett earlier this week. Barrett has tested negative for COVID-19, according to several reports.

  11:12 a.m.  

Melania Trump says she is experiencing ‘mild symptoms’ in first tweet since news of COVID-19 diagnosis

  11:01 a.m.  

Mark Meadows says Trump is experiencing mild symptoms but is in ‘good spirits’

By Christina Prignano, Globe staff

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows confirmed Friday that President Trump is experiencing mild symptoms, but said he is “in good spirits” and “very energetic” following his COVID-19 diagnosis.

Meadows addressed reporters at the White House and expressed optimism that Trump would have “a very quick and speedy recovery.”

“We have a president that is not only on the job he will remain on the job,” Meadows said.

He declined to say what specifically was being done in terms of treatment and would not answer questions about why the president went ahead with fund-raising events in Bedminster, N.J. on Thursday despite being aware that adviser Hope Hicks had likely come down with the virus.

Trump traveled to his New Jersey golf resort Thursday where he made remarks to a fund-raise. Several members of the president’s staff who had been in contact with Hicks canceled plans to accompany Trump on the trip.

“We discovered that right as Marine One was taking off yesterday,” Meadows said, referring to the president’s helicopter.

  10:00 a.m.  

‘The next few days are going to be really important’: Doctors weigh in on Trump’s diagnosis and risk

By Hanna Krueger, Globe staff

President Trump may be at higher risk of complications from COVID-19 given his age and weight, though doctors caution that the effects of the virus can be variable. The 74-year-old announced early Friday on Twitter that he and his wife, Melania Trump, had both tested positive for the coronavirus.

The president is so far experiencing mild “cold-like” symptoms, according to the New York Times. But before announcing his positive test result, Trump had been keeping to his campaign schedule. On Thursday, he flew to New Jersey, where he delivered a speech at a fund-raiser at his golf club. Upon returning to the White House, Trump participated in a call-in interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.

“The course can be highly variable,” explained Dr. David Hamer, an infectious disease specialist at Boston Medical Center. “I suspect that he’s having daily testing so he likely went from negative to positive overnight. Given his age and obesity, the next few days are going to be really key.”

  9:57 a.m.  

RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tests positive for virus

By Christina Prignano, Globe staff

Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the New York Times, which also reported that she is showing “mild symptoms.”

The Times’ Maggie Haberman reported that McDaniel, who is Mitt Romney’s niece, was in contact with President Trump last Friday.

Several members of Trump’s cabinet have recently been tested for COVID-19, including Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, all of whom tested negative.

  9:48 a.m.  

Pelosi wishes Trump well, says she has been tested for COVID-19 and is awaiting results

By Christina Prignano, Globe staff

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who follows Vice President Mike Pence in the presidential line of succession, told MSNBC on Friday morning that she had been tested for COVID-19 and was awaiting results.

Pelosi said she was tested “out of an abundance of caution,” and noted that while she had been in contact with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin during recent COVID-19 relief talks, Mnuchin recently tested negative for the virus.

Pelosi offered her best wishes to Trump and the first lady. But, she called the president’s recent actions with regard to the virus “brazen” and hoped it would be a wake-up call to a “saner approach” to the virus.

“This is tragic. It’s very sad. But . . . going into crowds, unmasked and all the rest, was sort of a brazen invitation for something like this to happen. Sad that it did, but nonetheless, hopeful that it will be a transition to a saner approach to what this virus is all about,” Pelosi said.

  8:52 a.m.  

Joe Biden offers thoughts and prayers for President Trump, but gives no information about his own health

By John Ellement, Globe staff

Former vice president Joe Biden offered thoughts and prayers for President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, but the Democratic presidential nominee did not say if he was getting tested for COVID-19 Friday.

“Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family,” Biden tweeted shortly before 9 a.m. Friday.

The brief comment did not directly address the major question raised by the fact that Biden stood on the same stage Tuesday night with Trump during the first presidential debate in Cleveland.

  8:30 a.m.  

Vice President Pence tests negative for COVID-19 and ‘remains in good health,’ White House says

By the Associated Press

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, tested negative for COVID-19 Friday morning, hours after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Spokesman Devin O’Malley said Pence “remains in good health and wishes the Trumps well in their recovery.”

Pence is tested every day for the virus, O’Malley confirmed.

  4:24 a.m.  

Thoughts, prayers, and politics: Here’s the early reaction to President Trump’s COVID-19 announcement

By Joshua Miller and Christina Prignano, Globe staff

President Trump’s stunning announcement overnight triggered swift and wide-ranging reaction early Friday, as the country and the world struggled to comprehend the enormous ramifications of the leader of the free world contracting COVID-19 just weeks before an election.

Thoughts and prayers and political calculations poured in, from expressions of good wishes for the health of the president and First Lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive, to speculation about the future of the presidential campaign, to concerns about national security.

“There’s the political story obviously, a White House that has minimized the virus and not done the basic things to protect itself and staff,” said Juliette Kayyem, a homeland security expert who served as an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security during the Obama administration.

But she said the president testing positive for COVID-19 doesn’t make her worry about the broader operations of the United States government.

  Friday, Oct. 2 1:10 a.m.  

Trump makes stunning announcement that he has COVID-19

By the Associated Press

President Donald Trump said early Friday that he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus, a stunning announcement that plunges the country deeper into uncertainty just a month before the presidential election.

Trump, who has spent much of the year downplaying the threat of a virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans, said he and Mrs. Trump were quarantining. The White House physician said the president is expected to continue carrying out his duties “without disruption” while recovering.

Still, Trump’s diagnosis was sure to have a destabilizing effect in Washington and around the world, raising questions about how far the virus had spread through the highest levels of the US government. Hours before Trump announced he had contracted the virus, the White House said a top aide who had traveled with him during the week had tested positive.

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