President Trump will not be tested for the coronavirus after meeting with a Brazilian official who tested positive for the virus just days after their meeting, the White House said on Thursday.
Fabio Wajngarten, a top communications aide to President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, tested positive days after accompanying Bolsonaro to Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and posing for a photo with the president and Vice President Mike Pence.
In the photo shared on social media, Mr. Wajngarten is seen standing shoulder to shoulder with Donald Trump. A video from the event also showed Mr. Wajngarten standing directly behind Donald Trump as they spoke to a crowd.
After his meeting, DonaldTrump hosted a dinner for Mr. Bolsonaro and his aides. Mr. Wajngarten also stopped by the birthday party of Kimberly Guilfoyle, an adviser to Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign and the girlfriend of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., a campaign aide said. Mr. Trump also attended the party, according to the New York Times.
But the White House press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, played down Mr. Trump’s level of exposure.
She said in a statement on Thursday: “Both the president and vice president had almost no interactions with the individual who tested positive and do not require being tested at this time.”
She also indicated that neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Pence intended to self-quarantine as a precautionary measure.
She said: “There is currently no indication to test patients without symptoms, and only people with prolonged close exposure to confirmed positive cases should self-quarantine. Exposures from the case are being assessed, which will dictate next steps.”
