Force One he had contact with coronavirus patient Matt Gaetz reflects upon learning while aboard Air
Rep. Matt Gaetz was notified while he was abroad Air Force One that he had come in contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus. The Florida Republican was exposed to the virus during his time at the Conservative Political Action Conference, as were GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, and Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia. All four of them have closed their offices and are self-quarantining themselves despite not experiencing symptoms. Gaetz learned of the news after he had joined the president on Air Force One Monday after a campaign fundraiser. The congressman was then placed in a sequestered area of the plane and said he would de-board after everyone else, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“The physicians aboard AF1 were very clear with me that the risk that I transmitted this virus was very low,” Gaetz told the outlet. Additionally, a White House aide summoned Gaetz because the president wanted to see him. While the congressman didn't go into Trump's office aboard the plane, the president “used his good-heartedness and good humor to bring me some comfort and make sure I was fine," according to Gaetz. "He joked that maybe I needed to be wrapped in cellophane. I said that I volunteered several times to jump out of Air Force One without a parachute," he said.
Despite Trump's contact with both Gaetz on Air Force One and Collins at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Georgia last week, the president hasn't been tested for coronavirus. Vice President Mike Pence, who is heading up the coronavirus response, hasn't been tested either. Both attended CPAC as well. “The President has not received COVID-19 testing because he has neither had prolonged close contact with any known confirmed COVID-19 patients, nor does he have any symptoms,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement Monday. “President Trump remains in excellent health, and his physician will continue to closely monitor him.”
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