At least one person has died and at least 19 are missing after a powerful storm hit southern France and north-western Italy.
A three-storey building under renovation collapsed next to a watercourse after flooding in Limone Piemonte, near Cuneo, Piedmont. Photo: AFP
Named Alex, it brought fierce winds and torrential rains causing severe floods.
A number of villages suffered serious damage around the southern city of Nice. Its mayor described it as the worst flooding in living memory.
In northern Italy, several roads and bridges were swept away by floodwater, while several rivers burst their banks.
The man who died was an Italian firefighter in the Aosta Valley. Another 11 people are said to be missing in the country's north-west after heavy rains hit overnight.
In the Piedmont region, several villages were cut off after the rains made roads impassable. The situation there was described as "extremely critical" by officials.
A block of concrete came away from a building in a watercourse following floods in Limone Piemonte, near Cuneo, Piedmont. Photo: AFP
Hundreds of aid workers have been sent to help rescue efforts in the cut-off villages.
The storm also affected the north-western regions of Lombardy and Liguria.
The city of Venice, which had been braced for high waters after suffering violent storms in August, was successfully protected by a flood barrier system recently declared fully operational.
In France, eight people are said to be missing.
Several villages north of Nice, located in steep-sided valleys, have been cut off.
After flying over the worst-hit area by helicopter, Nice Mayor Chistian Estrosi told French news channel BFM: "The roads and about 100 houses were swept away or partially destroyed."
Trees and waste invaded the bay of Saint Laurent du Var in France after heavy rain. Photo: AFP
Meteorological agency Météo-France said 450mm worth of rain fell in some areas over 24 hours - the equivalent of nearly four months of rain at this time of year, reports Reuters news agency.
The Alpes-Maritimes department was placed on red alert yesterday, but the alert level has now been downgraded to orange as the storm moves towards Italy.
Beaches in Nice and other coastal cities were closed, and people were asked to stay at home, the AFP news agency reports.
Yesterday, the storm buffeted France's western Atlantic coast, causing tens of thousands of homes to lose power.
Winds of more than 180km/h were recorded in Brittany on Thursday and Friday.
-BBC
President Donald Trump is doing "very well" after spending the night in a hospital, his physician Dr Sean Conley says.
Donald Trump has told doctors he feels like he could walk out of hospital already. Photo: AFP
Trump was diagnosed with Covid-19 on Friday and yesterday he was flown by helicopter from the White House to the Walter Reed Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland.
At the first medical briefing since he was admitted, Dr Conley said Trump's medical team is "extremely happy with the progress the president has made".
He was brought into hospital yesterday as a "precautionary measure", Dr Conley said.
White House physician Sean Conley gives an update on the condition of US President Donald Trump, at Walter Reed Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland. Photo: AFP
The medical team are "monitoring him very closely for any evidence of complications".
"And the president this morning is not on oxygen, not having difficulty breathing or walking around the White House medical unit upstairs," Dr Conley said.
One of the doctors said Trump told him: "I feel like I could walk out of here today."
President Donald Trump leaves Marine One to be admitted to the Walter Reed Medical Centre. Photo: AFP
He has been fever-free for over 24 hours, the doctors say.
He's receiving both the drug Remdesivir and an experimental treatment. They tackle different aspects of the disease, the doctors say.
Remdesivir has been shown to shorten the recovery time from the coronavirus. Trump will complete a five-day course of treatment, his doctors say.
They say they are "maximising all aspects of his care" and "don't want to hold anything back".
Questions being raised over timing
Starting the briefing, Trump's personal doctor said they had decided to move the president to the hospital out of caution.
"Just 72 hours into the diagnosis now, the first week of Covid - in particular days seven to 10 - are the most critical in determining the likely course of this illness," Dr Sean Conley said.
But as BBC North American editor Jon Sopel pointed out on Twitter, Trump only confirmed his positive test early on Friday morning (US time) - roughly 36 hours ago.
My big take out from that briefing - the physician talked about the last 72 hours. What? Confirmation only came yesterday morning from @realDonaldTrump - so did he have #coronavirus on Wednesday, and WH chose not to disclose it? Seems a fair question
— Jon Sopel (@BBCJonSopel) October 3, 2020
During the 72 hour timeline given by physician, @realDonaldTrump held a press briefing with no mask, flew to Duluth for rally, went to Bedminster for a fund raiser where no one wore masks. If @WhiteHouse knew he was symptomatic/had #coronavirus isn’t that indefensible?
— Jon Sopel (@BBCJonSopel) October 3, 2020
Trump in 'exceptionally good spirits'
Sean N Dooley, a pulmonologist also spoke during the briefing, said: "We are monitoring [Trump] very closely for any evidence of complications from either the coronavirus illness or the therapies that we are prescribing to make him better. He is in exceptionally good spirits."
President Trump asked doctors about the drug hydroxychloroquine, but is not taking it at this time, his doctors say. Early in the pandemic, he touted the medicine as a treatment for coronavirus - a recommendation not borne out by medical research.
First Lady Melania Trump, who has also tested positive, remains at the White House and is not being treated at the Walter Reed military hospital.
She is "doing great", the doctors say, and is "convalescing at home".
Trump continuing to work at hospital
Despite his diagnosis, President Trump is continuing to work from hospital, his doctors say. The presidential suite at the Walter Reed hospital is equipped with an office.
The doctors at the Walter Reed hospital are very upbeat about President Trump's condition. However, they don't know how long he'll have to stay there.
"More than anything, he's felt run down," Dr Conley said.
-BBC
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have both tested positive for Covid-19, with the president moved to Walter Reed Medical Center today.
US President Donald Trump leaves the White House for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Photo: AFP
Trump tweeted about the diagnosis yesterday, confirming that he and Melania had tested positive.
"We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately," he said.
"We will get through this TOGETHER!"
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
In another tweet, Melania Trump said the couple were "feeling good" and she had postponed all upcoming engagements.
As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together.
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) October 2, 2020
The couple were tested after Trump advisor Hope Hicks was infected with the virus - the closest aid to Trump to test positive so far.
However, this morning it was revealed that Trump has been flown to Walter Reed Medical Center on Marine One, the president's helicopter.
Trump released a short video on his Twitter account, 17 hours after his last post, saying he thought he was doing very well and he was heading to hospital "to make sure things work out".
He was moved to a "special suite" at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for the next few days as a precautionary measure, according to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
"Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days," she said in a statement.
It was reported that Trump had a mild fever, while White House doctor Sean P Conley wrote in a memo that he was "fatigued but in good spirits".
Trump is at high risk because of his age and weight. He has remained in apparent good health during his time in office but is not known to exercise regularly or to follow a healthy diet.
Conley said Trump has received a single dose of Regeneron's polyclonal antibody cocktail, a technique that is used for treating a wide range of illnesses. Data is limited on its effectiveness for Covid-19 but US infectious disease chief Dr. Anthony Fauci is among those saying it has promise.
Conley also said earlier today that Trump has received an experimental treatment, Regeneron's REGN-COV2, one of several experimental Covid-19 drugs known as monoclonal antibodies, which are used for treating a wide range of illnesses.
Trump is also taking zinc, Vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and a daily aspirin.
Vice President Mike Pence has tested negative for Covid-19.
Kellyanne Conway has also tested positive for Covid-19. Photo: AFP / Stefani Reynolds / CNP
Today it was also revealed that former White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway had also tested positive for Covid-19.
"My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I'm feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians," Conway tweeted.
What it means for the election
The White House has confirmed there will be no transfer of power while the president is in quarantine.
Reuters has reported White House officials have been seeking to project an air of business as usual, while privately expressing concern about the election and showing signs of rising worry about the coronavirus.
More staff than usual have been seen wearing masks.
Off the record, some Trump advisers fear his illness will cost him the election, because of his inability to go out on the road and campaign.
All his upcoming election events have been postponed or moved online.
Some in Washington are speculating that Trump's events last weekend, announcing Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, may have spread the virus.
Donald Trump announced Amy Coney Barrett as his nomination for the Supreme Court last weekend. Photo: Getty Images
World leaders, politicians respond
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has sent a get-well message to Donald Trump on behalf of New Zealand.
Speaking to media in Auckland today, Ardern said officials at the American embassy have been asked to pass on a message.
"Of course, wishing the president of the United States and the first lady New Zealand's best wishes for a speedy recovery."
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among international leaders who sent their best wishes to the Trumps.
"My best wishes to President Trump and the First Lady. Hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus," he wrote on Twitter.
Other world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, also sent messages of support to the couple.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "I am certain that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with this dangerous virus."
Former US Vice President - and Trump's democrat opponent in the upcoming election - Joe Biden also tweeted a message for the Trumps.
"Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family," he wrote.
Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 2, 2020
Biden's running mate Kamala Harris also tweeted well-wishes to the president and first lady.
"Doug and I join Joe Biden and Dr. Biden in wishing President Trump and the First Lady a full and speedy recovery. We're keeping them and the entire Trump family in our thoughts," she wrote.
Barack Obama, Trump's predecessor, tweeted a message from him and former first lady Michelle Obama.
Michelle and I hope that the President, First Lady, and all those affected by the coronavirus around the country are getting the care they need and are on the path to a speedy recovery.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 2, 2020
"Michelle and I hope that the President, First Lady, and all those affected by the coronavirus around the country are getting the care they need and are on the path to a speedy recovery.
"Obviously, we're in the midst of a big political battle right now, and while there's a lot at stake, let's remember that we're all Americans," he added. "We're all human beings. And we want everyone to be healthy, no matter our party."
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Trump's opponent in the last election, posted the same message on Twitter.
We wish the President and First Lady a speedy recovery, and hope for the safety of the White House staff, the Secret Service, and others putting their lives on the line.This pandemic has affected so many. We must continue to protect ourselves, our families, and communities.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 3, 2020
"We wish the President and First Lady a speedy recovery, and hope for the safety of the White House staff, the Secret Service, and others putting their lives on the line," they wrote.
"This pandemic has affected so many. We must continue to protect ourselves, our families, and communities."
- Reuters / BBC / RNZ
Kellyanne Conway, a former counselor to US President Donald Trump has tested positive for Covid-19.
Kellyanne Conway. Photo: AFP
"My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I'm feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians," Conway tweeted.
Tonight I tested positive for COVID-19. My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine. I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians.As always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic. ❤️
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) October 3, 2020
Conway is one of a list of high profile coronavirus cases emerging in the states, including Republican senator, Mike Lee, and the president of Notre Dame University, John Bennett - both of whom have recently visited the White House.
Donald and Melania Trump both tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday and the President has since been flown to Walter Reed Medical Center as a precautionary measure.
Trump released a short video on his Twitter account, 17 hours after his last post, saying he thought he was doing very well and he was heading to hospital "to make sure things work out".
pic.twitter.com/B4H105KVSs
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Trump has a mild fever, according to a source familiar with the matter. White House doctor Sean P Conley wrote in a memo that he is "fatigued but in good spirits."
- Reuters
The Prime Minister has sent a get-well message to US President Donald Trump on behalf of New Zealand.
The White House Photo: Andrea Izzotti/123RF
Speaking to media in Auckland today, Jacinda Ardern said officials at the American embassy have been asked to pass on a message.
"Of course, wishing the president of the United States and the first lady New Zealand's best wishes for a speedy recovery."
Trump and his wife Melania both tested positive for the virus yesterday, and the White House says Trump was shifted to a military hospital this morning as a precaution.
This follows a top aide, Hope Hicks, a counselor for President Trump testing positive for the virus.
The president has posted a message saying "we will get through this together", and video saying he is doing very well.
Ardern personally texted the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, when he fell ill with Covid. She says in that instance she had a mobile number to text, which is not the case with the US president.
Greens party co-leader James Shaw says the development will upset the already-volatile American election campaign.
"I wouldn't wish Covid-19 on anybody, we don't want anybody to die of Covid-19, and it just shows the importance of good science and good government to show that we can keep our whole population safe."
Shaw cast an advance vote in Wellington this morning, marking the first day of early voting for the New Zealand election.
By Timothy J Lynch* for The Conversation
Analysis: With just a month left until the 3 November US presidential election, contracting the coronavirus could have politically positive or negative consequences for President Donald Trump.
Donald Trump leaves the White House for a helicopter flight to a military hospital in Washington. Photo: AFP
These will, of course, be contingent on how severe the president's illness becomes, with Trump today transferred to a military hospital, the Walter Reed Medical Centre in Washington.
But we should not count him out and Democratic challenger Joe Biden in just yet.
Here are the ways the diagnosis could swing the election either way for Trump.
Negative
Trump's days in isolation will halt his intense campaign schedule. Trump was much better at energising crowds in airport hangers than Joe Biden has been. This advantage is now gone.
Trump is a sick man. Campaigning in any form requires robust health. Any physical advantage born of being the younger and fitter of the two candidates has now gone.
Because he has often disparaged the virulence of the disease, the president faces the public humiliation of being its victim. Trump does not deal well with humiliation - the excoriating account of his childhood, as told by his estranged niece, Mary L Trump, is replete with examples of the young Donald dishing out but being unable to take humiliation.
Trump has traded on his strong man image for decades. If he gets a bad dose, he will look every bit and more of his 74 years. If his experience is like that of Boris Johnson, Trump could well be out of action for weeks with the attendant psychological challenge of recovery weighing on him. The British PM, several intimates have observed, is still in recovery, still cognitively and emotionally impaired by his personal fight with Covid-19.
Donald Trump's favourite form of politics - addressing a large rally are now off the agenda. (file pic) Photo: AFP
Positive
There are also potential political advantages in Trump's Covid diagnosis.
Because of the virus, Joe Biden was already cautious about face-to-face campaigning. His younger opponent falling ill may well keep Biden more basement-bound and less willing to crisscross the battleground states.
Trump's illness could have a positive effect on the tone of political discourse. Biden will not want to be seen to demonise a sick opponent. The presidential debates will almost certainly be cancelled - which will likely mean a more civil national debate.
Trump is not the first leader to catch the virus. While Johnson became very sick, Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian president, had a relatively mild dose. He was able to claim from personal experience how few people who catch the virus are actually killed by it. This has been Trump's basic refrain over the course of the pandemic. Catching and recovering from the virus will prove he was right all along. Lockdowns, he will insist, were one big overreaction to a contagious but not virulent disease.
There will probably be no repeat of the spiteful discourse that marked this week's debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, Timothy Lynch writes. Photo: AFP
History tells us sick presidential candidates often win the ensuing election - Ronald Reagan nearly died from an assassin's bullet in 1981 but won big in 1984 - or that their party will. When Warren G Harding died in office (in 1923), his Republican party stayed in the White House for another 10 years.
Indeed, assassinated presidents tend to guarantee their party retains the White House at the next election: Lincoln's murder in 1865 was a cause of his great general, Ulysses S Grant, winning in 1868. William McKinley's murder in 1903 put his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt, into office for eight years. John Kennedy's assassination in 1963 led to Lyndon Johnson winning in a landslide the next year. Dying is, of course, not Trump's plan, but sickness and death need not mean the Republicans lose the White House.
The greatest president in US history, measured by victories (1932, 1936, 1940 and 1944), Franklin Roosevelt, was also the most challenged by his health. A victim of polio, he spent his entire presidency in a wheelchair. The point is not that Covid could turn Trump into FDR. It is to observe how far illness can empower a president.
Again, we can only begin to properly estimate the political ramifications of Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis when we know his prognosis. It is another element of uncertainty in this strangest and most uncertain of election years.
*Timothy J Lynch is an Associate Professor of American Politics at the University of Melbourne.
US President Donald Trump has been flown to Walter Reed Medical Center after he and his wife Melania tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday.
Photo: AFP
Trump, wearing a suit and a mask, walked onto Marine One, the president's helicopter which had landed on the lawn of the White House. He waved to the news media but did not stop for questions, before the short flight to the hospital.
Trump has released a short video on his Twitter account, 17 hours after his last post, saying he thought he was doing very well and he was heading to hospital "to make sure things work out".
pic.twitter.com/B4H105KVSs
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Trump, 74, has been moved to a special suite at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for the next few days as a precautionary measure, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.
"Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days," she said in a statement.
Photo: AFP
The White House has confirmed there will be no transfer of power.
Trump has a mild fever, according to a source familiar with the matter. White House doctor Sean P Conley wrote in a memo that he is "fatigued but in good spirits."
It was the latest recent setback for the Republican president, who is trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the presidential election next month. Biden himself and his wife, Jill, tested negative today.
Trump, who has played down the threat of the coronavirus pandemic from the outset, wrote on Twitter earlier on Friday that he and his wife Melania were going into quarantine after testing positive for the virus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans and severely damaged the US economy.
An active Twitter user, Trump did not post any messages for the next 17 hours, until he tweeted a short video.
Bystanders watch after the helicopter lands to collect US President Donald Trump who is suffering from Covid-19. Photo: AFP
Trump is at high risk because of his age and weight. He has remained in apparent good health during his time in office but is not known to exercise regularly or to follow a healthy diet.
Conley said Trump has received a single dose of Regeneron's polyclonal antibody cocktail, a technique that is used for treating a wide range of illnesses. Data is limited on its effectiveness for Covid-19 but US infectious disease chief Dr. Anthony Fauci is among those saying it has promise.
Trump is also taking zinc, Vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and a daily aspirin.
Photo: AFP
Earlier, Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows said the president was "on the job" and "in good spirits", adding that he expected him to make a quick recovery.
Meadows said the president remained energetic, and gave him his usual five or six tasks this morning.
"I hope this serves as a reminder," Biden tweeted after the result. "Wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands."
Other close members of Trump's family have tested negative.
Officials said the process of tracking all the president's contacts in recent days was ongoing, adding that Trump was considering how he might address the nation or otherwise communicate with the American people later today.
Yesterday, the first couple said they intended to self-isolate after one of Trump's closest aides, Hope Hicks, tested positive. Soon afterwards, they too received positive test results.
But there has been criticism of Trump's decision to go to a fundraiser attended by dozens of people in New Jersey on Thursday, apparently when officials already knew about Hicks's symptoms.
Hicks, 31, travelled with Trump on Air Force One to the first presidential TV debate with Biden in Ohio on Wednesday. Some of Trump's family members who attended the debate were seen not wearing masks.
The process of tracking all Donald Trump's contacts in recent days has begun in the US. Photo: AFP
Pence negative
Vice President Mike Pence, next in line for the Oval Office, has tested negative for Covid-19, hours after Trump announced that he was infected, Pence's spokesperson said.
Trump's test result cast a spotlight on Pence, a Christian conservative former lawmaker who has been one of the few constants in the Republican president's tumultuous administration, a little more than a month before the two seek re-election to a second term.
Vice President Mike Pence, next in line to Donald Trump, has tested negative to Covid-19. Photo: AFP
Pence, 61, is scheduled to debate his Democratic rival, Joe Biden's running mate Senator Kamala Harris on Wednesday (US time), and it was not immediately clear how or if Trump's positive test would change that plan.
"This morning, Vice President Pence and the Second Lady tested negative for Covid-19. Vice President Pence remains in good health and wishes the Trumps well in their recovery," spokesman Devin O'Malley said on Twitter.
Trump and Pence will work from separate residences, a White House official told Reuters, and their staffs will also be separated to protect Pence should he need to assume the duties of the presidency. Pence receives the same intelligence briefings as the president.
Pence would take over as acting president should Trump become incapacitated while undergoing medical treatment. That has happened three times in US history.
Then-President George W Bush temporarily transferred power to Vice President Dick Cheney twice, for a few hours each in 2002 and 2007, while undergoing colonoscopies. Vice President George H W Bush was acting president for nearly eight hours in 1985 while President Ronald Reagan had a pre-cancerous lesion removed.
Nancy Pelosi Photo: AP
The White House said Trump is "not incapacitated" and is working in isolation while experiencing mild symptoms.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is next in line of succession after Pence. She said on Friday that she had been tested for Covid-19 and should know her results soon.
In response to Trump's positive diagnosis, she said: "This is tragic. It's very sad. ... Going into crowds unmasked and all the rest was sort of a brazen invitation for something like this to happen."
Pence, a former governor of Indiana, has played a largely behind-the-scenes role in Trump's White House, although he is known to have presidential ambitions of his own.
His deference has endeared him to Trump, helping Pence survive in a White House with near-constant turnover among top officials. But he has sometimes been ridiculed for his public obsequiousness to his boss.
Earlier this year Trump put Pence in charge of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, a brief that has not gone well. The nation's death toll from the virus is over 207,000. New cases of Covid-19 rose in 27 out of 50 US states in September compared with August, a Reuters analysis showed.
File photo Photo: AFP
World leaders respond
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is among international leaders who have sent their best wishes to the Trumps. Johnson wrote on Twitter: "My best wishes to President Trump and the First Lady. Hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus."
Other world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, also sent messages of support to the couple.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "I am certain that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with this dangerous virus."
The president's niece, Mary Trump, who wrote a scathing book about her uncle, had this message: "I reserve my sympathy, empathy, and despair for those who are sick and for those who have died because they were misled, lied to, or ignored."
- BBC / Reuters
The release of the next James Bond film has been delayed again, due to Covid-19.
Photo: AFP
The premiere of No Time To Die had already moved from April to November 2020, due to the pandemic. It has now been further delayed until 2 April 2021 "in order to be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience", a statement on the film's website said.
"We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans, but we now look forward to sharing No Time To Die next year."
No Time To Die is due to be actor Daniel Craig's final appearance as the British secret service agent.
The last Bond film, Spectre, took almost £690 million (NZ $1346m) at worldwide box offices in 2015.
-BBC
US President Donald Trump is being flown to Walter Reed Medical Center after he and his wife Melania tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday.
Photo: AFP
11:17
Trump, wearing a suit and a mask, walked onto Marine One, which had landed on the lawn of the White House. He waved to the news media but did not stop for questions.
Marine One has arrived on the White House South Lawn to take President Trump to Water Reed Medical Center where is expected to remain for multiple days after COVID-19 diagnosis pic.twitter.com/qOip61lrkP
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) October 2, 2020
Trump, 74, will be moved to a special suite at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for the next few days as a precautionary measure, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.
"Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days," she said in a statement.
The White House has confirmed there will be no transfer of power.
Trump has a mild fever, according to a source familiar with the matter. White House doctor Sean P Conley wrote in a memo that he is "fatigued but in good spirits."
It was the latest recent setback for the Republican president, who is trailing Democratic rival Joe Biden in opinion polls ahead of the presidential election next month. Biden himself and his wife, Jill, tested negative today.
Trump, who has played down the threat of the coronavirus pandemic from the outset, wrote on Twitter earlier on Friday that he and his wife Melania were going into quarantine after testing positive for the virus, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans and severely damaged the U.S. economy.
An active Twitter user, Trump has not posted any messages since then.
Bystanders watch after the helicopter lands to collect US President Donald Trump who is suffering from Covid-19. Photo: AFP
Trump is at high risk because of his age and weight. He has remained in apparent good health during his time in office but is not known to exercise regularly or to follow a healthy diet.
Conley said Trump has received a single dose of Regeneron's polyclonal antibody cocktail, a technique that is used for treating a wide range of illnesses. Data is limited on its effectiveness for Covid-19 but US infectious disease chief Dr. Anthony Fauci is among those saying it has promise.
Trump is also taking zinc, Vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and a daily aspirin.
Earlier, Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows said the president was "on the job" and "in good spirits", adding that he expected him to make a quick recovery.
Meadows said the president remained energetic, and gave him his usual five or six tasks this morning.
"I hope this serves as a reminder," Biden tweeted after the result. "Wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands."
Other close members of Trump's family have tested negative.
Officials said the process of tracking all the president's contacts in recent days was ongoing, adding that Trump was considering how he might address the nation or otherwise communicate with the American people later today.
Yesterday, the first couple said they intended to self-isolate after one of Trump's closest aides, Hope Hicks, tested positive. Soon afterwards, they too received positive test results.
But there has been criticism of Trump's decision to go to a fundraiser attended by dozens of people in New Jersey on Thursday, apparently when officials already knew about Hicks's symptoms.
Hicks, 31, travelled with Trump on Air Force One to the first presidential TV debate with Biden in Ohio on Wednesday. Some of Trump's family members who attended the debate were seen not wearing masks.
The process of tracking all Donald Trump's contacts in recent days has begun in the US. Photo: AFP
Pence negative
Vice President Mike Pence, next in line for the Oval Office, has tested negative for Covid-19, hours after Trump announced that he was infected, Pence's spokesperson said.
Trump's test result cast a spotlight on Pence, a Christian conservative former lawmaker who has been one of the few constants in the Republican president's tumultuous administration, a little more than a month before the two seek re-election to a second term.
Vice President Mike Pence, next in line to Donald Trump, has tested negative to Covid-19. Photo: AFP
Pence, 61, is scheduled to debate his Democratic rival, Joe Biden's running mate Senator Kamala Harris on Wednesday (US time), and it was not immediately clear how or if Trump's positive test would change that plan.
"This morning, Vice President Pence and the Second Lady tested negative for Covid-19. Vice President Pence remains in good health and wishes the Trumps well in their recovery," spokesman Devin O'Malley said on Twitter.
Trump and Pence will work from separate residences, a White House official told Reuters, and their staffs will also be separated to protect Pence should he need to assume the duties of the presidency. Pence receives the same intelligence briefings as the president.
Pence would take over as acting president should Trump become incapacitated while undergoing medical treatment. That has happened three times in US history.
Then-President George W Bush temporarily transferred power to Vice President Dick Cheney twice, for a few hours each in 2002 and 2007, while undergoing colonoscopies. Vice President George H W Bush was acting president for nearly eight hours in 1985 while President Ronald Reagan had a pre-cancerous lesion removed.
Nancy Pelosi Photo: AP
The White House said Trump is "not incapacitated" and is working in isolation while experiencing mild symptoms.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi is next in line of succession after Pence. She said on Friday that she had been tested for Covid-19 and should know her results soon.
In response to Trump's positive diagnosis, she said: "This is tragic. It's very sad. ... Going into crowds unmasked and all the rest was sort of a brazen invitation for something like this to happen."
Pence, a former governor of Indiana, has played a largely behind-the-scenes role in Trump's White House, although he is known to have presidential ambitions of his own.
His deference has endeared him to Trump, helping Pence survive in a White House with near-constant turnover among top officials. But he has sometimes been ridiculed for his public obsequiousness to his boss.
Earlier this year Trump put Pence in charge of the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, a brief that has not gone well. The nation's death toll from the virus is over 207,000. New cases of Covid-19 rose in 27 out of 50 US states in September compared with August, a Reuters analysis showed.
File photo Photo: AFP
World leaders respond
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is among international leaders who have sent their best wishes to the Trumps. Johnson wrote on Twitter: "My best wishes to President Trump and the First Lady. Hope they both have a speedy recovery from coronavirus."
Other world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, also sent messages of support to the couple.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "I am certain that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with this dangerous virus."
The president's niece, Mary Trump, who wrote a scathing book about her uncle, had this message: "I reserve my sympathy, empathy, and despair for those who are sick and for those who have died because they were misled, lied to, or ignored."
- BBC / Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans for tougher laws to tackle what he called "Islamist separatism" and to defend secular values.
French President Emmanuel Macron delivering a speech on his strategy to fight separatism, near Paris. Photo: AFP
In a keenly awaited speech, Macron said a minority of France's estimated six million Muslims were in danger of forming a "counter-society".
His proposals include stricter oversight of schooling and control over foreign funding of mosques.
He had been under pressure to address radical Islam amid security fears.
But his comments were condemned by some Muslim activists who accused him of trying to repress Islam in the country.
Under France's strict principles of secularism, or laïcité, the government is separated by law from religious institutions. The idea is that people of different religions and beliefs are equal before the law.
The minaret on top of Maryam Mosque in the city of Caen, northwestern France. Photo: AFP
The country has the largest population of Muslims in Western Europe. Many complain the authorities use secularism to specifically target them, for instance in banning the hijab.
Speaking outside Paris on Friday, Macron said radical Islam was a danger to France because it held its own laws above all others and "often results in the creation of a counter-society".
He said this form of sectarianism often translated into children being kept out of school, and the use of sporting, cultural and other community activities as a "pretext to teach principles that do not conform to the laws of the republic".
"Islam is a religion that is in crisis all over the world today, we are not just seeing this in our country."
The measures announced by the president will form legislation that will go to parliament before the end of the year. They include:
stricter monitoring of sports organisations and other associations, so that they don't become a front for Islamist teaching
an end to the system of imams being sent to France from abroad
improved oversight of the financing of mosques
home-schooling restricted
Macron also said France must do more to offer economic and social mobility to immigrant communities, adding that radicals had often filled the vacuum.
Tens of thousands protested against Islamophobia in Paris, on 10 November, last year. Photo: AFP
He speech was the fruit of many months of discussions with religious leaders and intellectuals, says the BBC's Hugh Schofield, in Paris. It is being spun by the Élysée Palace as a sign that he wants to talk openly and without embarrassment about the dangers posed by radical Islam.
Many also see the address as an attempt to appeal to right-wing voters ahead of the 2022 presidential election, Schofield adds.
Islam is increasingly seen as a threat to France's core values in the wake of several terror attacks targeting secular liberties such as freedom of expression.
Last week a man wounded two people with a meat cleaver outside the former Paris offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, which the government denounced as "Islamist terrorism". In January 2015, jihadists killed 12 people in and around the magazine's offices to avenge its publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.
Muslims in France have roundly condemned the violence, and some reacted angrily to Macron's proposals on Friday.
"The repression of Muslims has been a threat, now it is a promise," tweeted French human rights activist Yasser Louati.
"In a one hour speech #Macron burried [sic] #laïcité, emboldened the far right, anti-Muslim leftists and threatened the lives of Muslim students by calling for drastic limits on home schooling despite a global pandemic."
-BBC
