Several members of Vice President Mike Pence’s inner circle, including at least four members of his staff, have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past few days, people briefed on the matter said, raising new questions about the safety protocols at the White House, where masks are not routinely worn.

Devin O’Malley, a spokesman for Pence, said that the vice-president’s chief of staff, Marc Short, had tested positive. A person briefed on the diagnosis said he received it on Saturday.

“Vice-President Pence and Mrs Pence both tested negative for Covid-19 today, and remain in good health,” O’Malley said, adding, “While Vice- President Pence is considered a close contact with Short, in consultation with the White House Medical Unit, the vice- president will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel.”

The statement did not come from the White House medical unit, but instead from a press aide. Two people briefed on the matter said that the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had sought to keep news of the outbreak from becoming public.

A spokeswoman for Meadows did not respond to an email seeking comment.

A Trump adviser briefed on the outbreak, who was not authorised to speak publicly, said that Pence adviser Marty Obst also recently tested positive. Obst’s positive result was earlier in the week. His positive test was first reported by Bloomberg News.

A third person briefed on the developments, who also was not authorised to speak publicly, said that three additional Pence staff members had tested positive. O’Malley did not immediately respond to a question about others who had tested positive.

The decision by Pence, who leads the White House Coronavirus Task Force, to continue campaigning is certain to raise new questions about how seriously the White House is taking the risks to their own staff members and the public from the pandemic that has killed more than 224,000 people in the US.

Short has been among those within the White House who have questioned the extensive lockdowns across the country.

Trump, the First Lady and several aides and advisers tested positive for the virus roughly three weeks ago. Trump spent three nights at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and he was treated with a cocktail of medicine that included an experimental antibody treatment, as well as the steroid dexamethasone.

Trump, at rallies over the past two days, has insisted the country is “rounding the turn” on the virus, despite a record high number of single-day cases this past week.

Poll acceptance

As the 2020 presidential election enters its final week, a majority of Americans appear ready to accept the result of an exhausting campaign even if their preferred candidate loses, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Its latest survey, conducted from October 13-20, shows that 79 per cent of all Americans, including 59 per cent of those who want to re-elect President Donald Trump, will accept a win by Democratic challenger Joe Biden even if they may not support a Biden presidency.

Among those Trump supporters who said they would not accept a Biden victory, 16 per cent said they would do something to challenge a Democratic win such as protesting in public or resorting to violence. The poll also found that 73 per cent of Americans would similarly accept a Trump victory.

New York Times News Service and Reuters