Political adviser sparked COVID-19 outbreak on VP Pence team - sources

By Alexandra Alper and Jeff Mason

 

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence waves to supporters at the end of a rally in Kinston, North Carolina, U.S., October 25, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Drake

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A political adviser to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is suspected of sparking an outbreak of the coronavirus on his team that sidelined a senior official days before the presidential election, according to a current White House official and a former official familiar with the matter.

 

Marty Obst, a political strategist for Pence, was determined by contact tracers from the White House Medical Unit to be the likely origin of the outbreak, the two people said.

 

Obst did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

 

Obst, who does not draw a government salary, accompanied Pence to rallies in Bangor, Maine and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Monday, Oct. 19, the White House official said.

 

"If you had to pick a patient zero it was Marty and he brought it in from the outside," the White House official said, declining to be named since he was not authorized to speak on the matter.

 

A spokesman for Pence said Marc Short, Pence's chief of staff, had tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend. Pence, who has faced criticism for keeping a busy campaign schedule despite being considered a close contact of Short, has tested negative in the days since.

 

The outbreak on Pence's team, which follows closely on the heels of a flurry of cases in President Donald Trump's inner circle, comes as coronavirus infections and hospitalizations are surging across the country.

 

That has kept Trump's handling of the virus in the headlines ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Polls show Trump trailing Democratic rival and former Vice President Joe Biden, who is consistently seen by likely voters as better able to handle the pandemic.

 

In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Short defended the decision to keep Pence, the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, traveling in the final days of the campaign despite his possible exposure. 

 

He noted the White House had encouraged other essential workers, such as 'blue collar' meat packers, to keep working even if they had close contact with someone later diagnosed with COVID-19, so they had set the same example. 

 

"I think we're actually following the guidelines that we established," Short said, noting that he had experienced symptoms akin to a head cold but now felt good.

 

While Short was not deemed a close contact of Obst and continued with his regular schedule following Obst's positive tests, three junior staffers who have since tested positive for the virus were already in quarantine due to exposure to Obst, a third person familiar with the matter said.

 

The person, who declined to be named, added that Pence has introduced new safety protocols, like wearing a mask on Marine 2, the helicopter that carries the vice president. The source said Pence remains masked and in his cabin during flights on Air Force 2, the name given to any plane carrying him.

 

"We have canceled regional interviews. He goes straight from the plane onto the stage. He takes his mask off when he gets on the stage. You can see from buffer shots he is about 30 feet away from an audience," the person added.

 

The White House official said staff and travelers on Air Force Two are all tested each day and that mask use is constant. The number of staffers traveling with Pence has been dramatically cut and many are self-isolating, the person added.

 

(Writing by Alexandra Alper, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-28

 

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Just now, webfact said:

That has kept Trump's handling of the virus in the headlines ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Polls show Trump trailing Democratic rival and former Vice President Joe Biden, who is consistently seen by likely voters as better able to handle the pandemic.

 

Oh no, just when you thought they could get a panic party rolling about Hunter Biden's laptop. The Pandemic rears its head, again.

Bad luck that. ????

 

Pence to doctors, "Give me whatever you gave him.", pointing to Trump.

 

Trump to Pence "I told you to stop touching stuff."

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The White House official said staff and travelers on Air Force Two are all tested each day and that mask use is constant.

You know that's true, they wouldn't lie about such a thing.

 

The new hit record "Covid covid covid" on the B-side is "Rusher rusher rusher"

What about that plane that crashed and 500 people died?

https://www.vox.com/2020/10/25/21533030/trump-pandemic-rallies-coronavirus-misinformation

Quote

“That’s all I hear about now. Turn on television, ‘Covid, Covid, Covid Covid Covid.’ A plane goes down, 500 people dead, they don’t talk about it. ‘Covid Covid Covid Covid.’

 

If head of the virus task force required his own staff to follow simple guidelines (masks, distance, hygiene), this outbreak might never have happened.  Stupid is as stupid does.

35 minutes ago, Emdog said:

If head of the virus task force required his own staff to follow simple guidelines (masks, distance, hygiene), this outbreak might never have happened.  Stupid is as stupid does.

The whole country will be a safer place and deaths will be spared if only Trump followed simple CDC guidelines and lead. 

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/melbourne-opens-up-covid-19-restrictions-eased-13390732

I blame it on Trump the worst president in the history lion Trump

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Political adviser sparked COVID-19 outbreak on VP Pence team

They know this how...guesswork?

12 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

They know this how...guesswork?

If only you read the article.

Marty Obst, a political strategist for Pence, was determined by contact tracers from the White House Medical Unit to be the likely origin of the outbreak, the two people said.

 

16 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

They know this how...guesswork?

Don't tell me someone who loves my favourite TV show as a kid is a Trump fan. The pain ..the pain.

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

If only you read the article.

Marty Obst, a political strategist for Pence, was determined by contact tracers from the White House Medical Unit to be the likely origin of the outbreak, the two people said.

 

I note the word "likely"...try that in court: Your Honor, the People will show the defendant likely killed the deceased." ????????????

Off-topic troll post removed.

 

These guys are really into pointing fingers while they themselves use no caution, it's always someone else's fault:  blame China, blame military families, blame whoever.  Being treated so unfairly...

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2020/10/08/trump-suggests-he-may-have-contracted-coronavirus-from-gold-star-families/

 

Whining, sniveling wimps who cannot take responsibility for their own circumstance.  One of those things that if you don't get past it by the time you're 21 years old you probably never will.  Here it is in action.

 

 

17 hours ago, webfact said:

He noted the White House had encouraged other essential workers, such as 'blue collar' meat packers, to keep working

Never noticed Pence packing meat in any of the photos I've seen of him.

13 hours ago, bendejo said:

You know that's true, they wouldn't lie about such a thing.

 

The new hit record "Covid covid covid" on the B-side is "Rusher rusher rusher"

What about that plane that crashed and 500 people died?

https://www.vox.com/2020/10/25/21533030/trump-pandemic-rallies-coronavirus-misinformation

 

OMG , this guy is completely insane!  During the 60 mn interview he believed he had witnessed that Stahl interviewed Biden before. Now he believes that a plane crashed and 500 people died!

He's unable to distinguish between what is real or not! Where are the men in white?