Mike Pence staffer becomes second at White House to contract coronavirus

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The vice president’s spokesperson, Katie Miller, has become the second White House aide to test positive for coronavirus.

Ms Miller is the wife of Donald Trump‘s senior adviser Stephen Miller, increasing chances of the virus coming into closer proximity to the president after his personal valet tested positive this week.

During a meeting with congressional Republicans, Mr Trump said he has not come into contact with Ms Miller but that she had spent some time with Mike Pence.

“She’s a wonderful young woman, Katie, she tested very good for a long period of time,” Mr Trump said. “And then all of the sudden today she tested positive. She hasn’t come into contact with me. She’s spent some time with the vice president.”

Mr Pence’s flight to Iowa was delayed on Friday morning while members of his staff who had been in contact with Ms Miller were deplaned from Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews, a senior administration official told NBC News.

The White House medical office is identifying additional staff that have been in contact with Ms Miller, while some have already been tested.

She had reportedly shown no symptoms and tested negative on Thursday before testing positing on Friday morning as part of the White House’s routine testing.

“This is why the whole concept of tests aren’t necessarily great,” Mr Trump said.

“The tests are perfect, but something can happen between a test where it’s good and then something happens and all of the sudden. She was tested very recently and tested negative, and then today I guess for some reason she tested positive.”

“But they’ve taken all of the necessary precautions. I understand Mike has been tested, vice president, and he tested negative.”

Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the White House had put in place guidelines that the coronavirus task force put forward to keep the building safe.

“Which means contact tracing, all of the recommended guidelines we have for businesses that have essential workers, we are now putting in place here in the White House, so as America reopens safely the White House is continuing to operate safely,” Ms McEnany said.

The White House began daily testing after a personal valet to Mr Trump tested positive to Covid-19 on Thursday. A member of the US Navy, the valet worked in the West Wing serving the president his meals, drinks, ironing clothes and shining his shoes.

When asked how much exposure Mr Trump has had to the valet, Ms McEnany said they have taken precautions to protect the president.

“The same guidelines that our experts put in place, we clean the facility, we social distance, we keep people six feet away from one another, so we’ve done every single thing that Dr Birx and Dr Fauci have asked us to do,” she said.