Three White House media personnel - including two journalists - have tested positive for Covid-19 today amid an outbreak at Capitol Hill.
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania yesterday tested positive for coronavirus, three hours after it was confirmed close Trump aide Hope Hicks was diagnosed with the disease.
The first confirmed case among media in the White House was a White House staffer seated in the "lower press" area of the West Wing on Friday morning (local time).
Members of the press corps were notified of the confirmed case "so that you can make informed judgments" that same day, according to a series of memos from the White House Correspondents Association.
A follow-up memo issued hours later, at 1.33pm (1.33am NZST), confirmed a member of the press corps was also confirmed to have Covid-19, CNN reports.
They had been at the White House last Sunday (local time), before travelling on Air Force One to Pennsylvania, where a Trump rally and the announcement of a Supreme Court nomination was held. The member began experiencing Covid-19 symptoms yesterday.
Two hours later, at 3.35pm (3.35am NZST), a third case - a second member of the press corp - had been confirmed to have the illness.
The individual had been at the White House last Saturday and Sunday (local time), and "began experiencing minor symptoms late Wednesday."
"We can't stress enough the importance of mask-wearing, social distancing and common sense, especially on the White House complex," the White House Correspondents' Association said.
"We are again asking journalists who are not in the pool and do not have an enclosed workspace to refrain from working out of the White House at this time."
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