Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
Carson is “in good spirits & feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery,” his chief of staff told ABC’s Katherine Faulders. The retired neurosurgeon tested positive at Walter Reed after experiencing symptoms.
News of Carson’s diagnosis comes after he attended an election night watch party at the White House with President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who was diagnosed with the virus on Friday.
In addition to Meadows and Carson, partygoers included Trump, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., Bill Barr, Steve Mnuchin, Alex Azar, David Bernhardt, and hundreds of others. Thus far, at least six White House staffers ― including Trump campaign aide Nick Trainer ― also reportedly have COVID-19.
This election night celebration is far from the first administration event to be linked to an outbreak. In October, Trump was diagnosed with the virus along with several other top Republicans who’d joined him at fundraising events and other outings.
First lady Melania Trump, adviser Hope Hicks, campaign manager Bill Stepien, former White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and others have all had the virus.
Carson is notably a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which has aimed to coordinate and oversee “the administration’s efforts to monitor, prevent, contain, and mitigate the spread” of the virus.
More than 10 million cases of the virus have been reported in the United States, along with more than 235,000 deaths.