The American Conservative Union (ACU) , the host of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), on Saturday confirmed that an attendee from this year's conference has a confirmed case of coronavirus.
The ACU sent attendees the following email, making them aware of the situation:
The American Conservative Union has learned that one of our CPAC attendees has unfortunately tested positive today for coronavirus. The exposure occurred previous to the conference. A New Jersey hospital tested the person, and CDC confirmed the positive result. The individual is under the care of medical professionals in the state of New Jersey, and has been quarantined.
ACU has been in contact with the Health Department of the State of Maryland, and we will explicitly follow the guidance from government health experts.
This attendee had no interaction with the President or the Vice President and never attended the events in the main hall.
The health and safety of our attendees and participants is our top priority. Any attendee who has questions can contact ACU or the Department of Health for the State of Maryland.
Our children, spouses, extended family, and friends attended CPAC. During this time, we need to remain calm, listen to our health care professionals, and support each other. We send this message in that spirit.
The Trump Administration is aware of the situation, and we will continue regular communication with all appropriate government officials.
Real Clear Politics' Philip Wegmann spoke with ACU Chairman Matt Schlapp about the situation following the email. Schlapp revealed that the infected attendee is a friend of his.
Just got off the phone with @mschlapp who found out a couple hours ago. He is very calm: "I know the person. I feel bad for him. You don't want any of your friends to ever get sick. But I'm certainly not alarmed."
— Philip Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) March 7, 2020
This isn't a moment to score points, and @mschlapp says that his hope is that "my friend gets better."
— Philip Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) March 7, 2020
He adds, "I hope that everybody stays calm. And if we have any of our friends, who test positive or get sick, we help them, and we'll get through this together as a country."
Schlapp took to Twitter to comment on the situation and clarify on assumptions and some of the unknowns, including about whether or not President Donald Trump and/or Vice President Mike Pence came in close proximity or contact with the attendee.
Colby this attendee who is now sick did not attend @cpac on Saturday. https://t.co/NLnzszLK3l
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) March 8, 2020
Schlapp said he also spoke with the attendee who is "on the mend."
There is a person who is sick in New Jersey. He is not “crap”. Good news is I talked w him tonight and he surely seems to already be on the mend. https://t.co/friSBQz3UW
— Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) March 8, 2020