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President hosted large event in Miami a week before testing positive for COVID-19

Contact tracers working to find out who may have been in close proximity to Trump

DORAL, Fla. – President Donald Trump made a stop in South Florida last week where he was at Trump National Doral to host a large event. There, he was exposed to hundreds of people. It isn’t clear if he had the coronavirus when he was in Doral, but it was a week later that he tested positive for COVID-19.

He wasn’t only in South Florida but in a a number of cities and states. Now, healthcare professionals around the country are working to contact those who may have been in close proximity to the President.

Willy Guardiola is the chairman of Trump Sign Rallies in Palm Beach County. He was at the Latinos for Trump event in Doral.

“I thought he looked more energetic than anything,” Guardiola said.

Guardiola said he never came within 25 feet of the President.

“If I start to feel a little sluggish . . . then I will go ahead and get tested, but you know, I feel good. I am thinking about getting tested,” Guardiola said.

While it remains unclear if Trump had the virus when he was in Doral, there are pictures of him at the event standing side-by-side with supporters — no one in the photos wore a mask.

Over the past two weeks, Trump has been on the move. He’s attended events in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Minnesota, the debate in Cleveland and a fundraiser in New Jersey.

“Look where Trump has been. Just in one day alone he was in three different states. How difficult is that going to be (to trace everyone)?” Guardiola said.

The question is where did Trump contract coronavirus and who did he transmit it to? This is the task medical experts are faced with as the President continues his treatment and is the latest American to fall victim to the global pandemic.

“Hopefully, it is going to be something mild and he is going to get over it. That is what I am praying,” said Guardiola.

Local 10 reached out to the Florida Department of Health to find out what they are doing to track down those who were in contact with the President while he was here.

Their statement: "The Department of Health is unable to comment on specific epidemiological investigations. When the Department of Health receives notification that a person has tested positive for COVID-19, the department conducts an extensive epidemiological investigation to identify individuals who may have had close contact with the virus. Those individuals are then notified by their county health department and instructed to self-isolate for 14 days after their exposure to the virus, and to contact their county health department and health care provider immediately if they develop symptoms. This process is followed for all individuals who test positive in Florida.


About the Author

Roy Ramos joined the Local 10 News team in 2018. Roy is a South Florida native who grew up in Florida City. He attended Christopher Columbus High School, Homestead Senior High School and graduated from St. Thomas University.

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