After a number of hours of not offering any data, a protection official informed CNN “nobody with the Secretary has examined optimistic, and neither the Secretary nor the touring get together have been uncovered.” Two officers mentioned the person had helped with Esper’s journey preparations. The officers added that members of the delegation touring with the secretary have been briefed on the matter.A protection official informed CNN that the staffer was on the advance staff for the journey and didn’t come into contact with Esper or Pentagon employees touring with him.Beneath normal protocols the person could be examined once more. CNN has not realized any particulars on whether or not additional testing has taken place.The Pentagon had not instantly responded to CNN’s request for remark.Additionally it is unclear how the state of affairs will impression journey plans for the secretary’s return to the US, the officers mentioned. Esper launched into the journey to the Indo-Pacific area final week, which included stops in Hawaii and Palau. The secretary is at the moment in Guam and members of his delegation have been knowledgeable of the optimistic consequence.Guam at the moment has greater than 1,200 confirmed coronavirus circumstances, and has thus far reported 9 deaths from the virus, in keeping with Johns Hopkins College. Esper posted a video on Twitter Friday exhibiting him laying a wreath within the waters of Palau for fallen service members from World Struggle II. The secretary additionally posted a photograph Thursday evening of him assembly with sailors aboard the united statesEssex. Esper was carrying a masks within the pictures and video.The staffer’s optimistic consequence comes almost a month after nationwide safety adviser Robert O’Brien examined optimistic for the virus, turning into the highest-ranking Trump administration official recognized to have contracted it. Along with O’Brien, a number of different folks linked to the White Home or the Trump administration have additionally examined optimistic, together with a cafeteria worker on the White Home grounds and Kimberly Guilfoyle, a high marketing campaign fundraising official who’s the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr.A number of Secret Service brokers and marketing campaign staffers additionally examined optimistic after turning into contaminated whereas making ready for the President’s Tulsa marketing campaign rally in June. Moreover, Vice President Mike Pence’s communications director Katie Miller examined optimistic for coronavirus in May, and one of many President’s private valets examined optimistic earlier that month.This story has been up to date to incorporate remark from a protection official and extra background data.CNN’s Devan Cole, Kaitlan Collins, Kevin Liptak and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.
