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Trump chief of staff Meadows diagnosed with COVID-19

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has tested positive for coronavirus, two officials confirm to CNN. (CNN Photo)

WASHINGTON
(AP) — President Donald Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows has been
diagnosed with the coronavirus as the nation sets daily records for
confirmed cases for the pandemic.

Two senior administration
officials confirmed Friday that Meadows had tested positive for the
virus, which has killed more than 236,000 Americans so far this year.
They offered no details on when the chief of staff came down with the
virus or his current condition. His diagnosis was first reported by
Bloomberg News.

Meadows traveled with Trump in the run-up to
Election Day and last appeared in public early Wednesday morning without
a mask as Trump falsely declared victory in the vote count. He had been
one of the close aides around Trump when the president came down with
the virus more than a month ago, but was tested daily and maintained his
regular work schedule.

It marked the latest case of the virus in
the West Wing, coming not even two weeks after Marc Short, Vice
President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, and other aides tests positive
for the virus. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, and at least two dozen
others tested positive for the virus in early October, after Trump held
large gatherings of people not wearing face-masks, including the
ceremony announcing the nomination of now-Justice Amy Coney Barrett to
the Supreme Court.

Trump has repeatedly said that the nation is
“rounding the turn” on the pandemic, which was top of mind for voters in
Tuesday’s election.

COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have increased
more than 50% in the past two weeks. According to an AP analysis of data
from John Hopkins University, the 7-day rolling average for daily new
cases rose from 61,166 on Oct. 22 to 94,625 on Nov. 5.