- An attendee of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference last month has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, conference organizers announced Saturday.
- A number of White House officials attended the conference, as did some 19,000 other people.
- President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both spoke at CPAC, but the conference organizers said the attendee had no interaction with either of them.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
A person who attended the Conservative Political Action Conference last month tested positive for the novel coronavirus, conference organizers announced Saturday.
Some 19,000 people attend the yearly gathering, and this year's line-up of speakers included President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and a number of other top cabinet members and White House officials.
The American Conservative Union, which organized the conference from February 26 to 29, said in a statement on Saturday the attendee did not have any interaction with Trump or Pence, nor did the person attend events in the main hall.
The attendee was exposed to the coronavirus before attending the conference, and was diagnosed at a New Jersey hospital. The person is now under quarantine, ACU said.
The organizers said the Trump administration was "aware of the situation," and urged attendees not to panic.
"Our children, spouses, extended family, and friends attended CPAC," ACU said. "During this time, we need to remain calm, listen to health care professionals, and support each other."
Important Health Notification for CPAC 2020 participants and attendees. pic.twitter.com/NtahNO8st3
— ACU (@ACUConservative) March 7, 2020
The conference frequently draws thousands of conservatives from across the country, including politicians, conservative icons, and media figures.
Two journalists from Business Insider even attended this year's CPAC and interviewed attendees about their perception of the coronavirus threat.
Several attendees said they believed mainstream news organizations were exaggerating the threat, and that they believed President Donald Trump had the situation under control.
Trump has faced backlash in recent weeks over his administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak. So far, 19 people have died and 401 people have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Besides a nationwide testing shortage that has likely underestimated the true amount of cases in the US, Trump himself has been accused of frequently downplaying the risk the virus poses to the population.
- Read more:
- The US government has completed fewer than 6,000 coronavirus tests as more states report new cases and deaths
- California, Washington, and New York have declared states of emergency to fight coronavirus — here's what it means
- The number of coronavirus cases outside China could jump tenfold every 19 days without 'strong intervention,' a study says
- A medical expert is going viral for a passionate post warning that mass panic about the coronavirus could do more damage than the disease itself
Join the conversation about this story »