Oct 7, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Trump returns to Oval Office despite ongoing COVID-19 infection

Orion Rummler

A maskless Marine stands outside a door to the White House — A U.S. Marine stands guard outside the West Wing, indicating that President Trump is in the Oval Office, on Oct. 7. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump went to the Oval Office on Wednesday to receive a briefing on coronavirus stimulus and Hurricane Delta, White House spokesperson Brian Morgenstern confirmed to reporters.

Why it matters: White House aides had advised Trump to avoid the Oval Office while he's still infected with the coronavirus, following his positive test and hospitalization last week. The CDC states that a person can be contagious for up to 10 days after coronavirus symptoms resolve.

Flashback: The White House denied Wednesday that Trump had worked in the Oval Office on Tuesday while still suffering from COVID, despite claims that he had from White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow.

White House communications aide Ben Williamson tweeted that Trump "wanted to be in the Oval Office" but instead "stayed back in the residence working from there."
"Safety preparations have been underway in the event he moves to working out of the Oval in the coming days," Williamson added.

Of note: Trump still wants a standalone bill to help airlines recover from the pandemic, along with other potential standalone stimulus measures, despite calling off negotiations on a comprehensive bill last night, Axios' Alayna Treene reports.

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Trump returns to Oval Office despite ongoing COVID-19 infection

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