Fauci to enter ‘modified quarantine’: report

Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, is set to enter a “modified quarantine” after making “low risk” contact with a coronavirus case, the public health official told CNN. 

Fauci indicated “low risk” means he was not in close proximity to the staffer while they were known to be positive for the virus. He will be staying at home and teleworking while wearing a mask continually for 14 days.

Vice President Pence’s office, which leads the White House coronavirus task force, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Hill. 

Fauci is taking more relaxed measures than Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, both of whom said Saturday that they were entering full quarantines. 

The three men have indicated that if they are needed in person at the White House or on Capitol Hill, they will take the necessary precautions. 

It’s not clear which White House staffer any of the three of these officials came into contact with. However, on Friday, Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the virus. On Thursday, one of President Trump’s personal valets also tested positive. 

The positive tests and the subsequent quarantines by those who work in close proximity to the president and vice president underscore the dangers of the virus spreading, even in the White House. 

“It can happen anywhere. It’s a very elusive enemy, a vicious enemy,” Trump said of the virus during a meeting with GOP lawmakers.

“And I think, more importantly than anything with this one, it’s probably the most contagious enemy that anybody has seen,” he added.