Pence says he has not yet been tested for coronavirus

Vice President Pence on Monday said he has not yet been tested for coronavirus, citing guidance from a White House physician.

“I’ve not been tested yet,” Pence told reporters at a briefing on the virus. “I’m in regular consultation with the White House physician and he said I’ve not been exposed to anyone for any period of time who has the coronavirus.”

“My wife and i have no symptoms, but we’re checking our temperature regularly every day and will continue to follow guidance,” he added.

Vice President Mike Pence tells @benstracy he has not been tested for coronavirus https://t.co/Pg0fqY2bj0 pic.twitter.com/xNBPUnkEQA

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 16, 2020

The Trump administration this week expects to ramp up testing capabilities, but officials have stressed that only those showing symptoms should get tested.

The vice president was at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) earlier this month, where one attendee has since tested positive for the virus. The individual did not interact directly with Pence or President Trump, but posed for photos with multiple lawmakers who then went into self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution.

Pence was also at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month when Trump hosted a delegation of Brazilian officials. Multiple attendees of the gathering have since tested positive, including one Brazilian official who was seen in a photo with Trump and Pence.

Trump was tested for the virus late Friday after the White House physician said in a letter that there was no need for him to be tested and that his risk for infection from the interaction at Mar-a-Lago was low. The president’s test came back negative.

The White House has implemented a number of stricter protocols to try and keep the president and vice president healthy, including taking the temperature of all individuals entering the complex.