Now White House reporter shows symptoms of coronavirus

The coronavirus outbreak took a new turn which could impact how Americans get information about the crisis, after a White House reported came down with a suspected case.

Word of the possible infection brought an immediate change in the set-up of the White House briefing room, which had already been implementing ‘social distancing’ by kicking out more than half the press in hopes of averting any spread among those who cover the president. 

President Trump has provided near daily press briefings on the crisis – declaring himself a ‘wartime president’ and clashing with reporters in the absence of campaign rallies amid the outbreak. He called NBC’s Peter Alexander a ‘terrible reporter’ during one contentious briefing last week. 

‘We have been informed that one of our colleagues has a suspected case of COVID-19,’ wrote Jon Karl of ABC News, president of the White House Correspondents Association, in a message to fellow White House reporters Monday.’ 

President Donald Trump speaks during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House, Sunday, March 22, 2020, in Washington. A colleague has a suspected case of the coronavirus, the White House Correspondents Association said

Karl provided the dates when the individual was at work in the cramped White House work space, so that other members of the press could practice ‘social distancing.’

‘We encourage all journalists who were at the White House during this time period to review public health guidance, consult their medical professionals and take the appropriate next steps. 

‘As we have said since this crisis began, our priority is to ensure that we can maintain a healthy pool to provide coverage of the president,’ he wrote.  

The WHCA issued a new set-up for the room, where reporters have begun sitting every other seat to practice a modicum of social distancing amid the outbreak. DailyMail.com was one of those who had a seat. Now, print reporters will share three seats, while networks and a pool will occupy others. 

‘Please DO NOT come into the White House if you are feeling at all ill,’ the WHCA advised. 

Trump has used daily briefings to contend with the coronavirus crisis

Trump has used daily briefings to contend with the coronavirus crisis

Members of the media are screened for fever prior to US President Donald J. Trump delivering remarks on the pandemic in the press briefing room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 22 March 2020

Members of the media are screened for fever prior to US President Donald J. Trump delivering remarks on the pandemic in the press briefing room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 22 March 2020

The temperature checks are meant to prevent spread of the coronavirus inside the White House complex

The temperature checks are meant to prevent spread of the coronavirus inside the White House complex 

White House press members are already sitting every other seat to engage in a level of social distancing

White House press members are already sitting every other seat to engage in a level of social distancing

Trump has clashed with the media at recent press conferences

Trump has clashed with the media at recent press conferences

The daily briefings take place in a cramped work space that used to be the White House pool

The daily briefings take place in a cramped work space that used to be the White House pool

The WHCA took the ’emergency step’ of cutting down access last month, anticipating possible spread in an environment where reporters and photographers jostle for position. 

The issue of who is in the White House briefing room is about much more than a pecking order and glamor shots for TV correspondents who want to be seen sparring with the president. 

Like predecessors before him, Trump has determined that using the briefing room, with its famous decor and familiar presidential seal, conveys the authority of the White House and the seriousness of the issues he is enumerating.

The Trump administration has asked Americans to make major sacrifices, including avoiding social gatherings of more than 10 people, while Trump has used the briefings to tell the country that recovery is right around the corner even as the stock market tanks and unemployment rises. 

He has faced tough questioning on the failure to build temporary hospitals or arrange for adequate testing, while also getting a fawning question from a conservative network accusing fellow reporters of colluding with the Chinese government. 

At one briefing last week, Trump called on Sean Spicer, his former White House press secretary, who now hosts a show on Newsmax.

‘Yeah please, in the back?’ Trump said while calling on him. 

Among other precautions, the White House has set up hand sanitizing stations inside press areas of the White House.

Trump has flaunted some social distancing guidelines, appearing at the White House with a large number officials, although the number has been scaled back in the most recent briefings.

He also shook hands repeatedly with CEOs at a Rose Garden even on the coronavirus, eschewing guidelines to avoid the practice to prevent transmission. 

Some skeptics have begun urging a quick end to social distancing to avoid a shutdown of the U.S. economy – an idea that appears to have gotten to Trump. He tweeted Sunday: ‘WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!’

The Senate is negotiating a massive bailout bill, although its efforts have been hampered by five GOP senators being under quarantine, including Sen. Rand Paul, who announced he tested positive Sunday after using the Senate gym and attending a Friday luncheon with colleagues. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk