WASHINGTON – The Secret Service, which guards President Donald Trump, president-elect Joe Biden and the White House, has been struck by an outbreak of Covid-19, reported US media yesterday.
The Washington Post said more than 130 Secret Service agents have been infected with the coronavirus or are in quarantine due to contact with infected people.
The outbreak comes after numerous agents travelled to campaign rallies with Trump where many officials and most attendees went maskless.
It also follows several White House events in the past three weeks led by Trump, including an election-night party on November 3 where most of those present also did not wear masks.
Afterwards, a number of officials reported positive virus tests, including Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows.
The New York Times said at least 30 uniformed Secret Service officers tested positive in recent weeks in a “sustained” outbreak, and some 60 have been told to quarantine.
It is the latest of several waves of infection to hit the Secret Service since the pandemic struck the US.
Several agents were forced to self-quarantine after a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in June.
The same happened again after a July speech to sheriffs in Tampa, Florida, led to positive tests.
The Secret Service also had an outbreak at its training academy in Maryland.
The Secret Service has around 7,000 employees, including the uniformed agents who guard the White House and presidential events, and the storied suit-wearing bodyguards who stay close to the president, vice-president, president-elect and others, pledging to “take a bullet” for their charge.
Asked about the reports, Secret Service spokesman Julie McMurray said it will not release any details on Covid-19 infections “for privacy and operational security reasons”.
“The health and safety of our workforce is paramount.
“We continuously assess the requirements necessary to operate during the pandemic and ensure we remain prepared and fully staffed to carry out our critical integrated protective and investigative missions, neither of which has been degraded by the pandemic.” – AFP, November 14, 2020
