WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence will distance himself from President Trump and the rest of the West Wing for the “immediate future” after his press secretary tested positive for the coronavirus, a White House official confirmed Tuesday.
Pence is not self-isolating because he is tested daily for the virus but will keep working from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House where he and his staff have offices.
“The two principals are maintaining distance for the immediate future based on consultation with the White House Medical Unit,” a White House official confirmed Tuesday.
Trump said he was considering social distancing from his veep on Monday evening.
“He tested negative, so we have to understand that, but he comes into contact with a lot of people,” Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden.
“It’s something probably during this quarantine period, we’ll probably talk about. I have not seen him since then but I would say that he will and I will be talking about that. We can talk on the phone,” he suggested.
During a call with governors Monday, Pence mentioned that he was taking extra precautions to maintain his distance from others, saying he was taking part in the call while “in a separate room on my own,” according to CNN.
Dr. Deborah Birx, who serves on the vice president’s coronavirus task force, was “in a situation with some staff” while he worked from afar, Pence told governors.
The White House implemented a new rule for West Wing staffers Monday, requiring them to wear masks at all times.
Trump told reporters during a Rose Garden briefing that he believed the White House had controlled its own outbreak “very well,” touting that only two individuals had tested positive despite so many people working in close quarters.
“Everybody coming into the president’s office gets tested, and I felt no vulnerability whatsoever,” he said.