Interior secretary is latest Trump official to test positive for coronavirus
WASHINGTON — Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has tested positive for the coronavirus, an agency spokesman said.
Bernhardt’s test result Wednesday makes him the latest Trump administration official to be infected with the coronavirus. President Trump was hospitalized with COVID-19 for three days in October.
Interior spokesman Nicholas Goodwin said Bernhardt has no symptoms. He “will continue to work on behalf of the American people while in quarantine,” Goodwin said.
Dozens of people in Trump’s orbit have tested positive for the coronavirus. They include White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, political advisor Kellyanne Conway and Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani. First Lady Melania Trump and two of Trump’s sons have been infected as well.
In addition, scores of Secret Service agents have reportedly been infected.
On Sunday, Trump said he was reversing an administration directive to vaccinate top government officials against COVID-19 while public distribution of the shot is limited to front-line health workers and people in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
Vice President Mike Pence has not been infected and is scheduled to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Friday.
COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the United States, and more than 307,000 people have died nationally.
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