Nov 7, 2020 - Health

Reports: Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows tests positive for COVID-19

Gigi Sukin

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has tested positive for the coronavirus, Bloomberg's Jennifer Jacobs first reported Friday night.

The state of play: Meadows traveled with the president in the run-up to Election Day and was most recently seen in public Wednesday morning, per AP. The diagnosis comes roughly a month after President Trump, members of the Trump family and others close to the president tested positive for COVID-19.

Meadows recently defended Vice President Mike Pence's decision to continue traveling and campaigning despite exposure to staff who had tested positive for COVID-19. Meadows said at the time that Pence was exempt from CDC guidelines because he is "essential personnel."
It is unclear when Meadows tested positive, or if he had any symptoms, per Bloomberg.
Meadows told a circle of advisers after Tuesday’s election, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The big picture: The U.S. recorded at least 125,552 new COVID-19 cases on Friday — setting a single-day record, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project.

The coronavirus has killed at least 236,099 people in the U.S. as of Saturday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
Of the 376 counties with the highest number of new coronavirus cases per capita, 93% voted for Trump, AP notes.

The White House has not responded to Axios' requests for comment.

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Reports: Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows tests positive for COVID-19

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