Marc Short, Chief of Staff to Vice President Mike Pence, tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, becoming the latest in a laundry list of people in or close to the Trump Administration to test positive for the virus, including President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and their son, Barron Trump.
“Today, Marc Short, Chief of Staff to the Vice President, tested positive for COVID-19, began quarantine and assisting in the contact tracing process,” Pence’s press secretary Devin O’Malley said in a statement. “Vice President Pence and Mrs. Pence both tested negative for COVID-19 today, and remain in good health.”
Marty Obst, one of Pence’s senior adviser’s, tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week, but is not considered a close contact to the vice president. According to O’Malley, even though Short is considered a close contact according to CDC guidelines, Pence will neither stop nor reduce his campaign schedule, the Hill reports.
According to CNN, the US recorded more than 83,000 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, which is the nation’s highest one-day number of new cases—and 6,000 higher—than the country’s previous record set in July. To date, the United States has had 8.58 million COVID-19 cases and 224,ooo deaths.
Pence serves as Chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.