White House Press Secretary McEnany Tests Positive for COVID-19
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced late Monday morning that she has tested positive for COVID-19.
McEnany, who generally did not wear a mask when addressing reporters or self-quarantine even after last week’s multiple positive coronavirus tests in the White House, made a point of noting all of her previous negative tests.
In her Twitter announcement she wrote: “After testing negatively consistently, including every day since Thursday, I tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday morning while experiencing no symptoms.”
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) October 5, 2020
McEnany, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and others in the administration have defended their lack of mask wearing by saying they’re not needed because they are so frequently tested. But as pointed out by at least one epidemiologist, the fact that she tested positive today actually is the greatest indication that she was infected in the middle of last week.
TIMELINE of Kayleigh McEnany’s #COVID19 testing:
Thursday— NEG
Friday—NEG
Saturday—NEG
Sunday—NEG
Monday—POSITIVEDay 5 is likeliest first day to begin to test positive, even if no symptoms, because it takes that long for viral load to build up. She was infected mid last week. pic.twitter.com/zkE1oszTz3
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 5, 2020
She also thought it necessary to again state that she “definitively had no knowledge of Hope Hicks’ diagnosis prior to holding a White House briefing on Thursday,” although after that briefing she was pulled off Marine One at the last minute before it departed with Donald Trump for a New Jersey fundraiser.
McEnany’s tweet also stated that “no reporters, producers or members of the press are listed as close contacts by the White House Medical Unit.” But just yesterday, as pointed out by Washington Post White House bureau chief Philip Rucker, McEnany took off her mask when she arrived at a microphone to brief reporters.
McEnany removed her mask as she approached journalists yesterday.
Today she tested positive for coronavirus. https://t.co/29KggZoCFa
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) October 5, 2020
Referring to herself as “an essential worker,” McEnany indicated she will now “begin the quarantine process and will continue working on behalf of the American People remotely.”
McEnany is at least the eight person to test positive for the virus since attending the White House super-spreader event announcing the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett.