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Trump to Host White House Event Despite COVID-19 Questions

Patsy Widakuswara

   WHITE HOUSE - President Donald Trump is scheduled to host hundreds of
   people Saturday on the South Lawn of the White House and deliver
   remarks, a senior administration official confirmed to VOA. This would
   be the president's first in-person event since he announced a week ago
   that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, triggering a multiday
   hospital visit and aggressive medical treatments for COVID-19.

   As first reported by ABC News, the event will feature "remarks to
   peaceful protesters for law and order" by the president. Trump is
   expected to deliver his speech from one of the balconies of the White
   House.

   The latest update from the president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, on
   Thursday evening said that Trump's "physical exam has remained stable
   and devoid of any indications to suggest progression of illness."
   Conley's memo also noted that "Saturday will be day 10 since Thursday's
   diagnosis and based on the trajectory of advanced diagnostics the team
   has been conducting, I fully anticipate the president safe return to
   public engagements at that time."

   Trump ended his four-day stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical
   Center on Monday and since then his doctors have provided the public
   with upbeat updates on his condition. Still public health experts
   question the judgment of holding a public event so soon after his
   diagnosis.

   "I would certainly be very cautious and suggest that people err on the
   side of caution rather than on the side of boldness," said William
   Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt
   University School of Medicine. "I would certainly not recommend that
   anyone who has recently recovered, even 11 days after having a positive
   test, be out in any sort of a crowd," he added.

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