Mike Pence
(Photo : Reuters)

On Friday evening, the President's Press Secretary Katie Miller confirmed that a member of the VP's staff has tested positive for the pandemic virus. She elaborated that the infected member has not interacted with neither the Vice President nor the President. As of the moment, they are working with CDC for contract tracing. 

Marc Short, Chief of Staff of the Vice President, said that the member had cold-like symptoms for a day and a half which prompted them to have him checked for COVID-19. He confirms that the infected staff member currently shows mild symptoms and is recuperating.

Short informed the reporters at the White House that they are taking necessary precautions with the guidance of their in-house physician. The White House encourages other staff members to stay at home and abide by self-quarantine. 

Pence tested negative for the virus two days ago. 

Vice President Mike Pence Leads the Coronavirus Task Force

Vice President Mike Pence has been President Trump's point person for the coronavirus pandemic. He attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference where two attendees tested positive for COVID-19. In another instance, he and President joined other high-profile lawmakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference where one was confirmed to have the dreaded virus. 

Pence continued to have a smooth relationship with the Democratic governors of affected states. He presented a calm demeanor as he provides a daily update on the coronavirus task force's action towards the virus. 

The task force faces serious challenges. Due to insufficient testing, the federal government does not have a clear view of the gravity of the situation. Hospital workers have expressed their worry about the possible lack of medical equipment needed to address the increasing number of coronavirus cases. 

Politicians Who Also Tested Positive for COVID-19

Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams and Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart shared to the public that they are positive for coronavirus. Last week, an employee working for Sen. Maria Cantwell got a positive result. Sen. Rand Paul also confirmed he has the virus.

As of the moment, about 29 members of Congress have self-quarantined. Republicans Rep. Matt Gaetz, Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Paul Gosar, and Rep. Doug Collins opted self-quarantine after interacting with a CPAC attendee who tested positive. Other members of Congress did the same after contact with individuals who tested positive for the virus. 

As of March 22, there are 35,060 Coronavirus cases in the United States with over 470 deaths and 178 recovered. 9 states have announced a total lockdown on top of social distancing as the number of cases continues to increase. 

However, President Donal Trump remains calm claiming that the United States will be able to win a glorious fight against it. He further shared his belief that the cure for Malaria can also be a cure for the pandemic virus. 

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said additional testing should be done before they can prove that the drug works. His views may be different from the President but he was merely looking at a scientific and medical standpoint, he said.