US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would quarantine inside the White House during his recovery, cancelling upcoming appearances on the campaign trail ahead of a bitterly fought election.
The White House doctor said both Trump and First Lady Melania — who also tested positive — were well and that Trump would continue his presidential “duties without disruption”.
The two were tested after a close White House aide Hope Hicks had tested positive earlier in the day, with the bombshell news breaking as more restrictions loomed in Europe in an attempt to contain the deadly pandemic.
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.
The president routinely receives tests for Covid-19, though the exact frequency is not clear.
US futures trading saw the Dow slump 1.7 per cent on the news and the broader S&P 500 shed 1.6 per cent, while the safe-haven yen rose against the dollar.
