US President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus disease, his doctor said following concerns over his exposure to COVID-19.
Trump agreed to the test after coming into contact with several members of a Brazilian presidential delegation visiting his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida who have since tested positive.
Before his testing on Friday, Trump said his personal doctor told him he did not show symptoms and did not need to be tested for coronavirus.
However, the 73-year-old president agreed to do the test after repeated questions from reporters about why he was hesitating to undergo screening when he had been exposed to at least three people who have tested positive.
“This evening I received confirmation that the test is negative,” the president’s doctor, Sean Conley, said on Saturday.
COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has killed at least 51 people in the US and disrupted life across the country, with millions working from home and schools shut.
Meanwhile, US Vice President Mike Pence extended US travel ban, saying a ban imposed on European nations over the pandemic would be extended to the UK and Ireland on Tuesday.
The restrictions threw airports across the country into disarray, with incoming travellers forced to wait hours for medical screenings before passing through customs.
Acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf said his office was working with airlines to improve screening times.
Trump advised against non-essential travel and said officials were also considering imposing domestic restrictions.
“If you don’t have to travel, I wouldn’t do it,” Trump said at a White House news conference. “We want this thing to end.”
