Washington, March 22 (IANS) US Vice President Mike Pence said that he and his wife will get tested for the novel coronavirus, after a staff member fromf his office tested positive for the deadly disease.

"Given the unique position that I have as vice president and as the leader of the White House coronavirus task force, both I and my wife will be tested for the coronavirus later this afternoon," Xinhua news agency quoted Pence as saying said during a news conference at the White House on Saturday.

Pence told reporters that the official was "doing well" with "mild" cold-like symptoms for a day and a half, and that the staffer had not been at the White House since Monday.

He said that the White House doctor had "no reason to believe" that the Vice President was exposed to the staff member who contracted the virus.

Pence's office on Friday had announced that the staffer had tested positive for the infectious disease.

"Neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual," Katie Miller, Pence's press secretary, said in a statement Friday.
"Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines."

Trump was also tested for the coronavirus last week, but the result was negative.

The test came after he received Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his entourage at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida earlier this month.

Trump dined with Bolsonaro and his press secretary, who later tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian President has also tested negative for the virus.

As of Sunday, the US has reported 26,138 confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, with a total of 340 deaths, according to the latest updates b the Maryland-based John hopkins University.

--IANS ksk/