Donald Trump threw MAGA caps to supporters days before testing positive
He was accompanied on the trip by adviser Hope Hicks, who is said to have publicly exhibited symptoms that day,
Donald Trump threw Make America Great Again (MAGA) caps to crowds of supporters when he may have been infected with coronavirus.
The president, who tested positive on Friday, tossed hats emblazoned with his trademark slogan as he arrived to speak at a campaign rally at Duluth International Airport, Minnesota, on Wednesday.
He was accompanied on the trip by adviser Hope Hicks, who is said to have publicly exhibited symptoms that day, though it is unclear exactly when.
The New York Times reports Trump advisers knew it was likely Hicks, 31, had contracted coronavirus on Wednesday when she became unwell during the campaign trip to Duluth.
After the rally, Hicks reportedly quarantined for the return flight to Washington on Air Force One and on Thursday, a test officially confirmed what senior White House officials already suspected.
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It is unclear how long Trump, Melania and Hicks have had the virus for. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it takes five or six days on average from when someone is infected until symptoms show, but it can take 14 days.
Coronavirus can be transmitted on surfaces, putting supporters at risk if Trump was infectious when he touched the hats on Wednesday.
Questions are being raised as to why the president didn’t self-isolate or take extra precautions after Hicks started showing symptoms.
On Thursday Mr Trump flew to his Bedminster resort in New Jersey for a private fundraiser, where he did not wear a mask.
The President had said late Thursday night that he planned to quarantine after Ms Hicks tested positive for the infection, bringing the disease into his innermost circle.
His diagnosis underscores the shortcomings in the White House strategy to protect the president.
Trump has been tested regularly but he and many of his aides have flouted public health guidelines on social distancing and mask wearing.
At Tuesday evening’s presidential debate, the President mocked his rival, Democratic nominee Joe Biden, for frequently wearing a mask.
Hours before he tested positive he tried to paint a rosy picture of the current situation, saying the ‘end of the pandemic is in sight’.
At campaign rallies he has frequently criticised Democratic governors who have maintained strict lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus.
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