Donald Trump Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Begins Quarantine

WASHINGTON, KOMPAS.com – US President Donald Trump tested positive for coronavirus on Friday and stated on his Twitter account that he entered quarantine with the First Lady.

Melania Trump also tested positive for coronavirus.

"We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" the president said in a late-night tweet.

Donald Trump’s positive Covid-19 result places him at high-risk for the deadly virus due to his age and because he is considered overweight.

Read also: Amid a Pandemic, Trump and Biden’s Presidential Campaigns Vastly Differ

Trump has remained in good health during his time in the White House but is not known to exercise regularly or to follow a healthy diet.

The US President’s positive Covid-19 diagnosis triggers a reminder of his staunch efforts to play down the virus in its early stages. Trump has also in the past predicted that the novel virus would go away.

The Trump administration’s coronavirus response has become a hot button issue ahead of the November election where over 200,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 in the US alone.

Read also: Trump Admitted Playing Down Covid-19 Danger in Bob Woodward Recordings

Elderly Americans and those with pre-existing conditions have been the hardest hit by the deadly virus.

The president rarely wears a mask and has ridiculed others, including Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, for doing so regularly.

Health professionals say that face coverings are key to preventing the spread of the virus.

Biden has criticized Trump sharply for his response to the pandemic, while the president has touted his own management of it.

Trump, who is tested regularly for the coronavirus, which causes Covid-19, has held rallies with thousands of people in recent weeks in the run-up to the November 3 election, despite warnings from public health professionals against having events with large crowds.

Read also: Rift between Trump and Coronavirus Experts Complicate Coronavirus Response