The White House is putting measures in place to protect President Donald Trump and his staff from the coronavirus.
The New York Post reported Friday that guests at the White House are now mandated to disclose all countries they have visited in the past 30 days.
The newspaper, quoting an unnamed White House official, said that on Feb. 21, the Secret Service started to require non-pass-holding visitors to submit a list of the countries they visited. That information is then reviewed by the Secret Service and the White House Medical Unit. Officials then follow-up with the people who had traveled to countries with an outbreak of the virus.
"It's not a hard and fast ban, but it lets the medical experts know who to talk to with follow-up questions," an official said. "People have been very cooperative and understanding, which we appreciate."
In addition, the White House has installed hand sanitizer stations. And another official said temperature checks and stopping public tours is possible if the crisis worsens. Neither step is imminent, the official said.
The newspaper noted that Tony Ornato, White House deputy chief of staff for operations, is holding meetings to address emerging threat situations.
Trump has stressed the need for good hygiene during the outbreak.
"I haven't touched my face in weeks," he joked on Wednesday. "It's been weeks! I miss it."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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