President Trump, still infectious, leaves hospital and enters White House without mask
President Donald Trump staged a dramatic return to the White House Monday night after leaving the military hospital where he has been receiving an unprecedented level of care for COVID-19. He immediately ignited a new controversy by declaring that despite his illness the nation should not fear the virus that has killed more than 210,000 Americans — and then he entered the White House without a protective mask.
Trump’s message alarmed infectious disease experts and suggested the president’s own illness had not caused him to rethink his often-cavalier attitude toward the disease, which has also infected the first lady and several White House aides, including new cases revealed on Monday.
Landing at the White House on Marine One, Trump gingerly climbed the South Portico steps, removed his mask and declared, “I feel good.” He gave a double thumbs-up to the departing helicopter from the portico terrace, where aides had arranged American flags for the sunset occasion. He entered the White House, where aides were visible milling about the Blue Room, without wearing a face covering.
The president left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where his doctor, Navy Cdr. Sean Conley, said earlier Monday that the president remains contagious and would not be fully “out of the woods” for another week but that Trump had met or exceeded standards for discharge from the hospital. Trump is expected to continue his recovery at the White House, where the reach of the outbreak that has infected the highest levels of the U.S. government is still being uncovered.
Still Trump indicated he won’t be kept from campaigning for long, tweeting before leaving the hospital, “Will be back on the Campaign Trail soon!!!”
Trump made a point of sounding confident earlier. He tweeted, “I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. … I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
However, that message alarmed infectious disease experts and suggested the president’s own illness had not caused him to rethink his often-cavalier attitude toward the disease, which has also infected the first lady and several White House aides, including new cases revealed on Monday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19 can be contagious for as many — and should isolate for at least — 10 days.
In other developments:
- The New York Times reports that the White House has decided not to trace the contacts of guests and staff members at the Sept. 26 Rose Garden celebration for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, where at least eight people, including the president, may have become infected, according to a White House official familiar with the plans.
- The Centers for Disease Control said Monday that the coronavirus can spread more than 6 feet through the air, especially in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces. But agency officials maintained that such spread is uncommon and current social distancing guidelines still make sense.
- Kamala Harris and Mike Pence will be separated by a plexiglass barrier to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission at Wednesday’s vice presidential debate.
- Washington, D.C., officials say the White House has rebuffed their offers to assist with contact tracing after Trump and several others who attended a Rose Garden event to introduce the new Supreme Court nominee tested positive for COVID-19.
- Trump’s fundraiser at his Bedminster golf club hours before he announced he had contracted the coronavirus was wrong and “put lives at risk,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said.
- Thirteen staff members from a Minneapolis steakhouse were quarantining after the restaurant catered a fundraiser attended by Trump during his visit to Minnesota last week, the restaurant said.
- The Senate is shut down by COVID-19 infections, but Republicans are refusing to delay confirmation of Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court. They are even willing to make special arrangements so sick senators can vote, and Democrats appear powerless to stop them.
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he’s ordering schools in certain New York City neighborhoods closed within a day in an attempt to halt a flare-up of the coronavirus.
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has warned the league’s 32 teams of penalties including potential forfeits of games for violations of COVID-19 protocols that force changes in the regular-season schedule.
For more summaries and full reports, select from the articles below. Scroll further for the latest virus numbers and a list of who in President Trump’s circle has tested positive for COVID-19.
