US President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, White House physician Sean Conley has confirmed.
On Saturday, the president said he had taken the test the night before after being questioned about it during a Rose Garden address early on Friday.
He came under pressure to take the test following a meeting with a Brazilian delegation last week, at least one member of which has since tested positive.
On Saturday evening, Conley said in a memo, “One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation in Mar-a-Lago, the President remains symptom-free.”
Trump shook hands with multiple officials at his Rose Garden news conference on Friday. The president has continued to appear at large gatherings, though he tweeted Saturday morning that Americans should be practicing “SOCIAL DISTANCING!”
When asked why he continues to shake hands contrary to guidelines set by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said, “It almost becomes a habit.”
“People come up to me, they shake hands, they put their hand out, it’s sort of a natural reflex,” he told reporters. “We’re all getting out of it. All of us have that problem.” He added, “Shaking hands is not a great thing to be doing right now, I agree.”
The 73-year-old president, due to his age, is considered to be at higher risk of complications from the disease, which has so far resulted in the deaths of 60 people in the US.
Also, so far, 3,043 people have been tested positive for the coronavirus across the country, according to worldometers.info.
Meanwhile, according to Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide topped 150,000 by mid-Saturday and over 5,800 people have died, and more than 73,000 recovered.
On Friday, Trump declared a national emergency over the virus, freeing up additional resources and federal funding of about $50 billion to fight the disease.
The US president has also imposed restrictions on travelers from China, Iran, the European countries part of the Schengen Area as well as the UK and Ireland.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
