The outbreak came after scores of officers attended campaign rallies with Donald Trump.
Washington, United States:
The US Secret Service, which guards President Donald Trump, President-elect Joe Biden and the White House, has been hit by a Covid-19 outbreak, US media reported on Friday.
The Washington Post said more than 130 Secret Service agents had been infected with coronavirus or in quarantine due to contact with those infected.
The outbreak came after many agents went to election rallies with Trump, where many officials and most attendees remained maskless.
It also follows several White House events over the past three Trump-led weeks, including election night on November 3, where most of those in attendance were also not wearing masks.
A number of officials subsequently reported positive Covid-19 tests, including Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows.
The New York Times said at least 30 uniformed Secret Service officers have tested positive in recent weeks in a “sustained” outbreak, and around 60 people have been asked to self-quarantine.
It was the last of several waves of infection to hit the service since the pandemic hit the United States.
Several Secret Service agents were forced to self-quarantine after a Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma in June.
The same thing happened again after a July speech to sheriffs in Tampa, Florida, which led to positive Covid-19 tests.
The service also had an outbreak at its training academy in Maryland.
The Secret Service has around 7,000 employees, including uniformed agents who guard the White House and presidential events, and legendary bodyguards in civilian clothes who stay close to the president, vice president, president-elect and d ‘others, pledging to “take a bullet” for their charge.
Asked about the reports, Secret Service spokeswoman Julie McMurray said they would not disclose any details of Covid-19 infections “for reasons of confidentiality and operational security.”
“The health and safety of our staff is paramount,” she added.
“We continually assess the requirements necessary to operate during the pandemic and ensure that we remain prepared and staffed to carry out our critical integrated protection and investigation missions, none of which have been degraded by the pandemic.” , she said.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
