Coronavirus Update: Australian Official Who Interacted With Ivanka Trump Tests COVID-19 Positive

Australian minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton revealed on Friday that he contracted the novel coronavirus, noting that he feels “fine.” Dutton was with Ivanka Trump and attorney general William Barr in Washington last week.

According to the New York Times, Dutton took to social media to reveal that while he has contracted the COVID-19 strain, he does not feel ill and will provide an update in the coming days. However, he isn’t the first person who met with people around U.S. President Donald Trump who later found out they have been infected with the novel virus.

The latest in a series of infections among Trump’s associates came a day after it was revealed that the press secretary for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro contracted the disease days after spending time with Trump.

Trump was photographed with Brazilian spokesman Fabio Wajngarten over the weekend at the former’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. According to CNBC, Bolsonaro has also been tested for potential COVID-19 infection following the reveal about Wajngarten.

As part of the precautionary measures following Wajngarten’s COVID-19 confirmation, Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Rick Scott of Florida have put themselves on self-quarantine.

Both Graham and Scott dropped by Mar-a-Lago over the weekend but they said as of Thursday that they weren’t experiencing any coronavirus symptoms.

The White House has since acknowledged that Trump was were with Wajngarten. Trump administration press secretary Stephanie Grisham also insisted that the president and vice president Mike Pence “had almost no interactions” with Wajngarten.

Despite the assurance that Trump and Pence do not require to be tested for potential COVID-19 infection, a source close to the U.S. president revealed that he is actually “very concerned” about his interaction with Wajngarten.

According to CNN, the source said Trump was concerned not just about his contact with Wajngarten but also with other people he had close contact to who later tested positive of the novel virus.

Earlier on Thursday, Trump told the press at the Oval Office that he didn’t interact much with Bolsonaro, explaining that they only sat beside each other “for a period of time.” Bolsonaro, on the other hand, is reportedly being monitored by health experts.

Trump also attended a conservative conference CPAC earlier this month where an attendee has since tested positive of the COVID-19 strain.

The White House said shortly after the confirmation that both Trump and Pence, who was also at the said event, were not in close contact with the attendee during the conference.