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The White House is now checking the temperatures of any 'individuals who are in close contact' with President Trump and VP Pence

Mar 14, 2020, 22:23 IST
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersBrian Cornell, the Chairman and CEO of Target Corporation, reaches out and shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump after the president declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency during a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, US.
  • The White House announced Saturday all people 'in close contact' with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence would have their temperatures taken out of "an abundance of caution."
  • A day before the announcement, the president had shaken hands and touched other officials at a press conference at the White House.
  • One person was turned away from the White House on Saturday because their temperature was 99.9º, CNN reported.
  • The president said he had his temperature taken before entering the Press Briefing Room and said it was "totally normal."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Ahead of a press conference about the novel coronavirus on Saturday, the White House announced it would be testing members of the press and anyone 'in close contact' with both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

"Out of an abundance of caution, temperature checks are now being performed on any individuals who are in close contact with the President and Vice President," White House spokesperson Judd Deere said in a statement to reporters on Saturday, according to Axios.

Despite calls for social distancing, which includes limiting physical contact with other people, the president at a press conference about the virus on Friday shook hands, touched officials and made contact with a shared microphone 31 times, according to The Washington Post.

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Trump seemingly tweeted in favor of the practice, writing Saturday morning, "SOCIAL DISTANCING."

At another press conference Saturday afternoon, Trump said he had to have his temperature taken before he entered the Press Briefing Room at the White House. When asked by reporters if his temperature was normal, Trump said it was "totally normal."

As Business Insider previously reported, the president has come into contact with at least two individuals who have since tested positive for COVID-19. White House physician Sean Conley said in a letter late Friday that the president did not need to enter self-quarantine and did not need to be tested for coronavirus, though at a news conference Saturday he said he had been tested and was awaiting results.

As members of the press came to the White House on Saturday for the president's latest statements about the virus that has so far killed at least 50 in the US, all of their temperatures were taken. According to CNN, one person had been turned away from the White House after they were found to have a temperature of 99.9º, according to CNN.

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