President Trump and wife Melania test positive for Covi
02 Oct 2020
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US President Donald Trump has tested positive for Covid-19, potentially halting his election campaign for the 2 November presidential poll and raising the prospect of a policy change for post-Covid Trump.
Trump on Thursday said he and his wife Melania tested positive for Covid-19 and were in quarantine, after Hope Hicks, one of his closest advisers, tested positive for the disease.
Trump and the first lady had attended a fundraising event in New Jersey on Thursday afternoon.
“We will get through this TOGETHER!” 74-year-old Trump tweeted.
President Trump has joined a growing list of world leaders who have been infected with the virus, along with more than 10 million people globally.
The news had its impact on markets, with stocks falling in the US and Europe on Friday. S&P 500 futures fell as much as 2 per cent immediately after the news, while the Australian dollar and Treasury yields, dipped.
"What might this news on President Trump mean? Some wires are reporting this as a risk-off event as it raises the prospect of a Biden victory and a Democrat victory is equity market negative. We are not convinced on that line of reasoning."
Trump’s catching Covid has big implications for the elections as he remains very competitive in key swing states ... and catching Covid is unlikely to alter his support much.
If he quickly recovers it will play into his line of argument over getting the economy open being much more important.
Also, the news of the President and his wife catching Covid comes in the wake of the US reporting its biggest jump in new cases in five days, including nearly 20 states reporting single day increases of more than 1,000 infections.
World leaders wished the US President quick recovery. EU chief Charles Michel on Friday tweeted: “Wishing @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a speedy recovery. COVID-19 is a battle we all continue to fight. Everyday. No matter where we live,” Michel said in a tweet.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wished President Trump and his wife Melania a speedy recovery on Friday after they tested positive for COVID-19.
“My best wishes to President Trump and the First Lady,” Johnson, who was the first world leader to be hospitalised after contracting COVID-19, said on Twitter. “Hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Trump a quick recovery after the US president revealed he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
“Wishing my friend @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a quick recovery and good health,” Modi said on Twitter.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wished Donald Trump and his wife Melania a speedy recovery from Covid-19.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel wished US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump a rapid recovery after they announced they tested positive for the coronavirus.
“I send Donald and Melania Trump all my good wishes,” her spokesman Steffen Seibert tweeted on her behalf.
“I hope that they recover well from their corona infection and will be quite healthy again soon.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin wished Donald Trump a speedy recovery in a telegram, saying he was sure the US leader’s qualities would help him fight off the coronavirus.
“I am convinced that your vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with this dangerous virus,” the Kremlin quoted Putin as saying in the message.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier wished Trump “a speedy and easy recovery” on behalf of the Kremlin.
