CDC Director Robert Redfield has become the second high-ranking Trump administration health official to self-quarantine after exposure to someone at the White House with coronavirus, the public health agency said Saturday night.
Redfield, 68, a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, “had a low-risk exposure” on Wednesday to “a person at the White House who has Covid-19,“ a CDC spokesperson said.
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn began two weeks of self-quarantine on Friday after coming in contact with White House spokesperson Katie Miller, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. Hahn on Friday did not have symptoms and tested negative for the virus.
The CDC did not say whether Redfield was also exposed to Miller, a top aide to Vice President Mike Pence who was in coronavirus task force meetings. Redfield is showing no symptoms and will be teleworking for the next two weeks, the agency spokesperson said.
The spokesperson left open the possibility that Redfield could attend White House task force meetings during the quarantine period, in accordance with agency guidelines for people who have possibly been exposed. “Those guidelines call for Dr. Redfield and anyone working on the Task Force at the [White House] to have their temperature taken and screened for symptoms each day, wear a face covering, and distance themselves from others,” the spokesperson said.
Earlier this week, a personal valet to Trump also tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Afterwards, Pence said he and Trump would be tested every day, along with White House staffers who regularly come in contact with them.
