Despite White House virus cases, top aides defend reopening of economy

US vice president’s spokesperson tests positive for Covid-19

Asked about that on Sunday, Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health and Security at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, dissented.

“No, this virus isn’t going to go away,” he said on Fox, adding that it would remain as a “background problem” both in the US and around the world until a vaccine is developed.

The White House has some of the most rigorous precautions against COVID-19 of any US venue at the moment. The president, vice president and many others are tested daily.

But Trump and Pence have frequently defied the government’s own guidance about wearing protective masks, and both men have traveled to other states in recent days.