More than 130 Secret Service officers reportedly under coronavirus quarantine
Published Date: 11/13/2020
Source: axios.com
More than 130 Secret Service officers are quarantining due to positive coronavirus tests or exposure to a co-worker who has tested positive, the Washington Post reports.Why it matters: Officials told the Post that they believe the cases at least partly stem from President Trump's run of campaign rallies before Election Day. The number of officers forced off-duty — roughly 10% of its core security team — could stress the Secret Service at large, forcing overtime and missed days off to make up for the strain."Being down more than 100 officers is very problematic. That does not bode well for White House security," a former senior Secret Service supervisor told the Post.The state of play: The Secret Service outbreaks come as the White House is experiencing another coronavirus outbreak of its own — just weeks after one that left Trump himself sickened.Chief of staff Mark Meadows, HUD Secretary Ben Carson and campaign adviser Corey Lewandowski all tested positive for the virus after attending an election night party there. A number of other officials and attendees also tested positive.The big picture: The White House's struggles come as the nation is seeing a massive rise in daily coronavirus cases. A record 152,000 new cases were reported in the U.S. on Thursday. Trump has not yet addressed the rise in cases and has largely avoided public events in the last week.