Ivanka Trump, senior political advisor to President Donald Trump, will not undergo self-quarantine even after she came into close contact with Australian home affairs minister Peter Dutton, who recently tested positive for coronavirus. Ivanka, however, opted to work from home on Friday as a precautionary measure.
While the White House was aware that Dutton tested positive for the virus, it said that there is no need for its senior officials who met with the Australian official to quarantine, according to The Guardian. “The White House is aware that Mr. Dutton tested positive for Covid-19,” the White House said in a statement. “He was asymptomatic during the interaction.”
As for Ivanka Trump, the White House deemed it unnecessary for her to self-quarantine. “Exposures from the case were assessed and the White House Medical Unit confirmed, in accordance with CDC guidance, that Ivanka is exhibiting no symptoms and does not need to self-quarantine,” the White House said.
But as a precautionary measure, Ivanka Trump opted to work from home on Friday. “She worked from home today out of an abundance of caution until guidance was given,” the statement reads.
One of the officials who met Dutton, Attorney General William Barr, also decided to work from home on Friday. However, he also did not show any coronavirus symptoms.
“He is staying home today and has consulted with CDC,” said Kerri Kupec, Department of Justice spokeswoman. “CDC is not recommending he be tested at this point.”
Kellyanne Conway, a senior counselor to the president, was also one of the officials who met Dutton. However, she was also advised that there is no need to quarantine.
Other officials including a senior counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway, said she had been advised she did not need to quarantine.
“White House Medical Unit (WHMU) informed me earlier that Mr. Dutton was asymptomatic during the interaction,” Conway tweeted. “Exposures from the case were assessed and the WHMU confirmed, in accordance with CDC guidance, that I exhibited no symptoms & need not self-quarantine.”
Dutton started exhibiting symptoms on Friday morning when he woke up with a fever, slight shortness of breath and sore throat. Queensland Health authorities only traced the people he came into contact with since Wednesday morning and did not concern with those he met earlier than Wednesday.
“Their advice to me is they’re concerned with people that I’ve had close contact with since the morning of the 11th,” Dutton said. “So beyond that, it’s not further back, there’s some speculation about my visit to the White House etcetera but all the medical advice says there’s no issue in relation to that period or even cabinet earlier in the week. That’s the very clear medical advice that I got from Queensland Health.”