White House executive office cafeteria closed after positive coronavirus test – Latest Breaking News Updates

The White House is conducting contract tracing after a cafeteria employee examined positive for coronavirus, three Trump administration officers inform NBC News.

The cafeteria within the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, or EEOB, was closed this week after the case was found, officers mentioned. It was unclear how lengthy the ability will stay closed, though some staffers have been informed it might stay shuttered for 2 weeks.

Part of the White House complicated, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building sits simply throughout West Executive Ave. from the West Wing. It homes the places of work of a lot of the senior White House employees, together with officers from the coronavirus activity power, the vice chairman’s office, the National Security Council and several other financial coverage outlets.

Unlike the White House Mess, which is positioned contained in the West Wing and run by the U.S. Navy, the cafeteria within the neighboring EEOB is run by a authorities contractor. The White House referred questions concerning the state of affairs to the General Services Administration, which maintains the constructing.

“All proper protocols were in place by the vendor including masks, gloves, plastic shielding at check out, and no dine-in service,” a GSA spokesperson tells NBC News. “The White House Medical Unit has done contact tracing and determined that the risk of retransmission is low.”

The GSA didn’t say what number of staffers may need been doubtlessly uncovered on the commissary or how lengthy it can stay closed.

The case comes as President Trump is acknowledging extra publicly the rising unfold of coronavirus within the United States, whilst he continues to downplay issues about his administration mishandling the pandemic.

“We are working with very talented people, very brilliant people and it’s all going to work out and it is working out,” Trump mentioned on Wednesday.

Several White House officers and others in shut proximity to the president have beforehand examined positive for coronavirus, resulting in contract tracing efforts by the White House previously. Although the White House just lately ended common temperature checks for all these coming into the White House grounds, these coming into shut proximity to the president are nonetheless given COVID-19 speedy checks on the White House.