Published 08:12 IST, March 14th 2020
Trump will 'most likely' get tested for COVID-19 after initially saying he won't
POTUS Donald Trump has said that he would ‘most likely’ be tested for Coronavirus after multiple reporters persistently questioned him during his press briefing
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POTUS Donald Trump has said that he would ‘most likely’ be tested for Coronavirus after multiple reporters persistently questioned him during his press briefing from the Rose Gardens. Trump was asked if he would take any precautionary measures or get tested for Coronavirus himself after Bolsonaro's aide, who Trump and Pence had met earlier at his Mar-a-Lago resort, later tested positive for the disease.
The US President Trump declared a National Emergency over the Coronavirus Pandemic on Friday. He also outlined various measures that his administration and various other government bodies would take to tackle the deadly virus.
Initially said he wouldn't get tested
Answering a reporter, Trump initially said that neither he nor would Vice President Pence get tested as they had not displayed any symptoms.
"We have no symptoms whatsoever," the US President said. "And we had a great meeting with the President of Brazil, Bolsonaro. As you know he tested negative this morning, and we got a word of it too. Because we did have dinner with him, and we were sitting next to each to other for a long period of time."
Says he'll get tested after more reporters question him
Towards the end of the briefing, another reporter brought up the matter once again. He said that the President asked people coming back from Europe self-quarantine. Trump himself was pictured with Brazilian President Bolsonaro's aide who later tested positive for Coronavirus, and thus was exposed to the virus. The reporter asked Trump how his situation was different.
Trump said that his case was different as he was not coming back from a different country. Trump also said that he usually clicked multiple pictures, sometimes in the hundreds, with many people every day. He also said that taking pictures lasts for a few seconds.
Trump also reiterated that he spent more time with Brazilian President Bolsonaro, who ultimately had tested negative for the virus.
Another reporter also asked about the picture. She said that Dr Anthony Fauci from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases had earlier said that anyone exposed to the Coronavirus should self-quarantine. However, President Trump had earlier told media that his own White House doctor advised Trump differently. She also asked him who should American citizens listen to.
Trump said, "I think they have to listen to their doctors and they shouldn’t be jumping to get the test unless they have it.”
The reporter continued to ask Trump about whether he'd still not get tested, as doctors have said one person can have the virus but still be asymptomatic. Trump answered, "I didn't say I wasn't going to be tested." He said that they were working on getting him tested for a possible Coronavirus infection ‘fairly soon’, and that they were working out a schedule for it.
08:12 IST, March 14th 2020