Another cluster of coronavirus cases has been identified in Donald Trump’s inner circle this week, adding to the dozens of cases tied to his administration.
At least 40 people in Trump’s orbit – including his family and White House aides and staff – have tested positive since early September, according to the New York Times.
The White House has often ignored public health guidance on how to stop the spread of the illness.
Those who tested positive in the previous two months include Stephen Miller, policy adviser; Kayleigh McEnany, press secretary; Melania Trump; and Kellyanne Conway, political adviser. Trump was hospitalized because of Covid-19 on 2 October.
Many of the individuals to test positive in an earlier cluster had attended indoor and outdoor events to mark Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court on 26 September. Several of the people in the most recent list of cases were at a White House election night party. Many guests at both events were not wearing masks or social distancing.
Nationally, more than 243,000 people have died from Covid-19 and more than 10.6 million people in the US have tested positive for the illness.
Within Trump’s circle, these are the new cases identified in the past week:
Corey Lewandowski
The Trump campaign adviser tested positive on 11 November. He was one of the guests at an election night party at the White House. The party was attended by hundreds of people, many of whom weren’t wearing masks.
Ben Carson
The secretary of housing and urban development (Hud) tested positive on 9 November. Carson had been at public campaign events in the days before his diagnosis. He was also at the White House election night party.
David Bossie
On 8 November, the president’s adviser tested positive. Bossie directed the Trump campaign’s legal challenges to the election results and had been traveling around the country before his diagnosis. He was also at the White House election night party.
Richard Walters
The Republican National Committee chief of staff tested positive on 12 November. He had not been at the White House recently, according to the Washington Post.
Brian Jack
The Trump political director tested positive on either 7 or 8 November. He was at the White House election night party.
Mark Meadows
The president’s chief of staff tested positive on 4 November. He was at the White House election night party on Tuesday 3 November, and was seen in the early hours of Wednesday without a mask on, standing close to the president’s family.