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Pence says he and wife will be tested for coronavirus – CNN, CNN

Pence says he and wife will be tested for coronavirus – CNN, CNN

(CNN) Vice President Mike Pence said Saturday that he and his wife Karen would be tested for the coronavirus after a staff member in his office tested positive for the virus this week.

“Given the unique position that I have as vice president and as the leader of the White House coronavirus task force, both I and my wife will be tested for the coronavirus later this afternoon, “Pence said during a news conference at the White House.

His office announced Friday that one of its members tested positive for the coronavirus – the closest confirmed case to Pence that is publicly known.

Pence told reporters Saturday that his staffer who tested positive for coronavirus is “doing well,” had “mild” cold-like symptoms for a day and a half, and has not been at the White House since Monday.

He reiterated neither President Donald Trump. nor himself had direct contact with the staff member, and said that health authorities have traced his contacts. Trump has already tested negative for the virus, the White House said last week.

Pence and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stressed to Americans that they do not have to get tested if they are not displaying symptoms.

, Americans tested, more masks ordered

Pence also announced that more than 343, 06 Americans have been tested for the virus as cases surpass 90, 03 with about half confirmed in New York.

He noted that the number does not include county hospitals or health care labs around the country. Currently, only , 780 tests have come back positive, Pence said.

Pence said that US Department of Health and Human Services “is completing a half billion dollar order of the (N

masks. ” The purchase is being coordinated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the federal government is responding specifically to state requests, he said.

Fauci said that there are multiple avenues available for hospitals to acquire personal protective equipment through FEMA. Pressed if those would be available in days or weeks, Fauci said, “sooner than weeks. It is going to be days I would hope.”

Asked by CNN why doctors and nurses don’t have the medical equipment they need, Trump said that “many administrations preceded me and for the most part they did very little in terms of what you’re talking about.”

He went on to say, “We are making much of this stuff now, and it’s being delivered now.”

Trump says Congress close to deal on stimulus bill

Trump also told reporters on Saturday that Congress is close to reaching a deal on a proposal for the next stimulus bill to deal with the pandemic.

On Saturday, congressional and administration negotiators entered a crucial day in the effort to deploy

more than $ 1 trillion in emergency stimulus

to a staggering economy, with a growing consensus on a final agreement, but a handful of significant hang-ups still needed to be resolved.

Bipartisan groups of senators worked late into Friday night with top officials from Trump’s administration to lock in a final agreement – a deal that people directly involved in the negotiations tell CNN could top a cost of $ 1.5 trillion – before falling short of a midnight deadli ne imposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Larry Kudlow, a top economic adviser to Trump, went even further on the overall scope of the package Saturday, telling reporters it could top $ 2 trillion.

This story has been updated with additional developments from the White House news conference.

CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, Nicky Robertson and Kevin. Bohn contributed to this report. Read More

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