White House staff, Secret Service eye virus with fear, anger

West Wing is a ghost town. Staff members are scared of exposure. And White House is w a treatment ward for t one — but two — COVID patients, including a president who has long taken threat of virus lightly.

President Donald Trump's decision to return home from a military hospital despite his continued illness is putting new focus on people around him who could be furr exposed if he doesn't abide by strict isolation protocols.

Throughout pandemic, White House custodians, ushers, kitchen staff and members of U.S. Secret Service have continued to show up for work in what is w a coronavirus hot spot, with more than a dozen kwn cases this week alone.

Trump, still contagious, has me clear that he has little intention of abiding by best containment practices.

As he arrived back at White House on Monday evening, president defiantly removed his face mask and stopped to pose on a balcony within feet of a White House photographer. He was seen inside moments later, surrounded by numerous people as he taped a video mess urging Americans t to fear a virus that has killed more than 210,000 in U.S. and 1 million worldwide.

White House spokesman Judd Deere said White House was “taking every precaution necessary” to protect t just first family but “every staff member working on complex" consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and best practices. He ded that physical access to president would be significantly limited and appropriate protective gear worn by those near him.

neless, mood within White House remains somber, with staff fearful y may have been exposed to virus. As y confront a new reality — a worksite that once seemed like a bubble of safety is anything but — y also have been engd in finger-pointing over conflicting reports released about president's health as well as a lack of information provided internally.

Many have learned about positive tests from media reports and several were exposed, without ir kwledge, to people White House alrey knew could be contagious.

Indeed, it took until late Sunday night, nearly three full days after Trump's diagsis, for White House to send a staff-wide te in response. Even n, it did t ackwledge outbreak.

“As a reminder,” re letter from White House Manment Office, “if you are experiencing any symptoms ... please stay home and do t come to work." Staff who develop symptoms were vised to “go home immediately” and contact ir doctors rar than White House Medical Unit.

Even when Trump was at hospital, his staff was t immune to risk.

Trump h aides re recording videos and taking photographs of him. On Sunday evening, he took a surprise drive around hospital to wave to supporters from window of an SUV. Secret Service nts in car with him were dressed in personal protective equipment.

“Appropriate precautions were taken in execution of this movement to protect president and all those supporting it, including PPE,” Deere said.

Trump campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley dismissed media concern about nts' safety as “absolutely stupid and foolish."

"How do y think he’s going to leave? Is someone gonna toss him keys to a Buick and let him drive home by himself? y’re always around him because that’s ir job," Gidley said on Fox News.

But nts told a very different story.

Several who spoke with Associated Press expressed concern over cavalier attitude White House has taken when it comes to masks and distancing. Colleagues, y said, are angry, but feel re's little y can do.

One, speaking after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tested positive on Monday, said it felt like he and some of his colleagues h been spared only by a measure of good luck.

Ors ted difference between facing outside threats y have trained for — a gun, a bomb or a biohazard — and being put at ditional risk because of behavior y characterized as reckless at times. nts spoke on condition of anymity to avoid jeopardizing ir jobs.

Secret Service has refused to disclose how many of its employees have tested positive or have h to quarantine, citing privacy and security. But in midst of election, thousands of nts are on duty and anyone who tests positive can easily be subbed out, officials have said.

Secret Service spokeswoman Julia McMurray said ncy takes “every precaution to keep our protectees, employees and families, and general public, safe and healthy.”

Trump has joined first ly Melania Trump, who also tested positive, in residential area of White House. It is typically served by a staff of roughly 100 people, including housekeepers, cooks, florists, groundskeepers and five or six butlers — who interact most closely with president, said Kate Andersen Brower, who wrote “ Residence: Inside Private World of White House.”

During pandemic, that staff has been reduced to a skeleton crew, with mask-wearing much more prevalent than in West Wing, where few have worn m regularly.

Brower said she recently spoke with three former employees who expressed concern about health of current workers, but were too afraid to speak publicly.

“ butlers always feel protective of first family, but re’s just a concern about wher or t staff would get sick,” Brower said. Most are older, she said, “because y work from one generation to next. y are people who have been on job for 20 to 30 years. y want to work to get ir full pensions.”

For months w, cleaning staff have also privately voiced concerns about ir safety, including lack of access to testing and inequate protective gear.

Stephanie Grisham, first ly's spokeswoman, said that "all precautions are being taken to ensure health and safety of residence staff,” but she declined to be specific.

While White House has refused to implement new safety procedures — such as making masks mandatory — building was ticeably emptier Monday, with more staffers w staying home on days when y are t needed on site.

On Monday morning, re was just a single staff member in ground floor press office, where two medical staff members ministered COVID-19 tests, surrounded by empty desks.

It’s t first time a White House has h to contend with a virus. During flu pandemic of 1918, President Woodrow Wilson was infected as were members of his family and White House staff, including his secretary and several Secret Service members, according to White House Historical Association.

So were two sheep who spent ir days grazing on South Lawn. y were hospitalized but recovered.

This story has t been edited by www.republicworld.com and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.