WASHINGTON • US Vice-President Mike Pence, the first in line to occupy the Oval Office if President Donald Trump becomes too ill to carry out his duties, has tested negative for Covid-19 and plans to resume campaign appearances, including at the vice-presidential debate on Wednesday night.
Word of Mr Pence's plans came on Friday, hours after Mr Trump and his wife said that they had tested positive for the virus. The Vice-President's doctor said he had tested negative and "is free to go about his normal activities".
"Vice-President Mike Pence does not need to quarantine," Dr Jesse Schonau, his physician, said. He is "not considered a close contact with any individuals who have tested positive for Covid, including President Donald J. Trump".
For the rest of Friday, Mr Pence filled in for Mr Trump on a conference call and prepared for his debate this week with Senator Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic candidate for vice-president.
Mr Pence and Ms Harris would be placed farther apart at their debate, according to people familiar with the procedure. The Commission on Presidential Debates will seat them 3.7m apart, rather than the initial 2.1m.
After years of speculation that he might succeed Mr Trump following potential impeachment over matters like the Russia investigation, Mr Pence now finds the prospect of at least temporarily assuming presidential duties more vivid than ever, though White House officials said they had no plans to transfer power to him even briefly.
But in the coming days, Mr Pence is poised to take on a more prominent campaign role and may represent the President at events at first planned for a healthy Mr Trump.
Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday headed to the battleground state of Michigan to resume campaigning after testing negative for Covid-19. Mr Trump's Covid-19 diagnosis is likely to reinforce Mr Biden's message about the President's failed response to the disease, which has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States.
NYTIMES, BLOOMBERG, REUTERS
