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U.S. Mike Pompeo to quarantine after close contact with COVID-19 case

Dec 17 , 2020. 8 hours ago – 01:28 KYODO NEWS

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a press conference on August 12, 2020 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Getty/Kyodo)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be in quarantine after having come into contact with a person who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday.

Pompeo, 56, has tested negative and will be closely monitored by the department’s medical team, the official added. The person who contracted the virus was not identified due to privacy reasons.

The United States is suffering higher numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths than any other country in the world. Around 3,000 daily deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, have been reported recently.

President Donald Trump contracted the virus about a month before the Nov. 3 election, although he made a comeback after being hospitalized for three nights. Many White House aides and staff have also reportedly contracted the virus.

In July, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien was found to have tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered.

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