Interior Secretary David Bernhardt tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, and he got his test result back in time to sit out a Cabinet meeting at the White House. Interior spokesman Nicholas Goodwin said Bernhardt "is currently asymptomatic" and will continue to work in quarantine. Bernhardt, 51, is the latest Trump administration official to contract the coronavirus and the third top official at the Interior Department to test positive, The Washington Post reports.
"Following Bernhardt's diagnosis, employees at Interior were informed that a large holiday party that had been scheduled for Thursday has been canceled," the Post adds, citing two sources. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has thrown several holiday office parties, tested negative for COVID-19 but is in quarantine after coming into contact with someone who tested positive, the State Department said Wednesday. Pompeo also skipped President Trump's Cabinet meeting and reportedly canceled Wednesday night's holiday office party.
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