The White House is expected to be busier than ever after a cafeteria staff worker in the building next to the government's office tested positive for the coronavirus, setting off a hunt for anyone who may have been in contact with the person.
Retransmission Risk Reportedly 'Low'
Following the news that a cafeteria staffer at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building has contracted the disease, a spokesperson for General Services Administration (GSA) reportedly said that the White House Medical Unit had determined that "the risk of retransmission is low."
The building under question is managed by the GSA, and the medical team in the White House has conducted appropriate contact tracing since the news emerged, the department said.
This is not the first time a person linked to the White House has contracted COVID-19. Earlier this month, a reporter who attended White House briefings tested positive.
Tracking U.S. Cases In The Past Two Weeks
While there has been an apparent decline in new coronavirus cases in select U.S. states, the country's national infection toll over the past two weeks has been more widespread than initially thought by analysts.
With over 915,000 confirmed COVID-19 infections over the past two weeks, the United States has recorded more cases in only 14 days than the country's total log for the entire month of June.
Health experts noted that the spike in new infections is a sign that the U.S. has a long way to go in terms of containing the novel coronavirus and preventing further fatalities among high-risk communities.
The news came amid ensuing economic reopenings in some states – including some states that are fast becoming outbreak hot spots.
White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx noted that the spike in new cases has been linked to not just reopenings across the country but also Memorial Day travels.
World Watches As U.S. Starts Leaning Toward Mask Use
Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) offered guidance that governments urge people to wear face masks or face coverings when in public as a way of preventing COVID-19 transmission.
While U.S. President Donald Trump has, for the past months, appeared to be adamant about the use of face masks in the fight against the virus, the current administration's tone has changed this month.
Earlier this week, the American president took to Twitter to tell his followers that wearing a face covering was a "patriotic" thing to do. He also said in front of journalists that masks "have an impact."
Trump's latest comments mark an evident change of heart from when he did not promote the use of face masks as a way to prevent COVID-19 transmission. Many American businesses and companies have also started adopting face mask use.
On the other side of the world, most countries have already made it mandatory to wear face coverings when in public. It remains to be seen whether face mask use will become a national requirement.
As of Wednesday, the United States has recorded a total of 4,101,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 146,185 fatalities from the fast-spreading disease.
