A spokesperson for Mike Pence confirmed on Friday that a staffer in the vice president's office has tested positive for the coronavirus.
"This evening we were notified that a member of the Office of the Vice President tested positive for the Coronavirus," Press Secretary Katie Miller said in a statement. "Neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual. Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines."
It's not the first time the vice president has been in the vicinity of an individual infected with the coronavirus.
President Trump and Vice President Pence both interacted with a Brazilian official at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida earlier this month. That official since tested positive for the coronavirus. Under criticism from reporters, the president agreed to be tested for the virus and his results came back negative.
A person who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference last month subsequently tested positive for the coronavirus. Both Trump and Pence had attended the conference but neither men had close contact with the individual. Several lawmakers who did interact with the attendee self-quarantined, but none of those lawmakers appear to have contracted the virus.
Two people who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's Policy Conference in Washington earlier this month also tested positive for the coronavirus. Pence and several other lawmakers spoke at the conference.
Rep. Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT) announced on Wednesday that they had both tested positive for the coronavirus, although how they contracted the virus remains unknown. Both congressmen are currently self-quarantining at home.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member