(Eagle News) — US President Donald Trump says he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus in a tweet that shocked the world.
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!,” he said in his tweet.
The US First Lady also tweeted that she has COVID-19. She said that she and the President “are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19.”
“We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together,” she said in her official twitter account.
Earlier, President Trump went into quarantine Thursday night after a potential Covid-19 exposure. This was after his close aide Hope Hicks had tested positive earlier in the day.
“You know I spend a lot of time with Hope, and so does the first lady,” Trump had told Fox News earlier in the evening.
Agence France Presse reported that Hicks was on board Air Force One with the president as he traveled to Cleveland, Ohio for the first presidential debate with his rival, Democrat Joe Biden, on Tuesday.
Hicks also joined Trump on his trip to a campaign stop in Minnesota on Wednesday.
Trump’s doctor said the US President is “well” and will continue to perform his duties “without disruption” while quarantining along with the first lady.
They “are both well at this time and they plan to remain home at the White House during their convalesence,” doctor Sean Conley said in a statement on Friday.
“I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering,” Conley added.
The president is said to routinely receive tests for Covid-19, though the exact frequency is not clear.
(with a report from Agence France Presse)