GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Ivanka Trump has tested negative for the Coronavirus, according to White House officials. The news comes hours after her father, President Donald Trump, tweeted that he was Covid-19 positive.
Ivanka visited Gaston County, North Carolina Thursday hours before President Trump's diagnosis was announced on Twitter. She was seen wearing a mask as she toured several spots in Belmont and Dallas.
Ivanka was campaigning on behalf of her father Thursday during her visit to North Carolina, a swing state in the upcoming presidential election.
In Belmont, she visited a number of businesses owned by the non-profit group Holy Angels. They provide employment for people with developmental disabilities and medical conditions.
Holy Angels released a statement Friday following the news of President Trump's positive Covid-19 test. Despite learning that Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, had tested negative, Holy Angels closed three businesses in order to provide a deep cleaning as a precaution.
Cherubs Café, Cotton Candy Factory and Bliss Gallery will reopen Saturday after a thorough cleaning.
"When we reopen on Saturday, rest assured that we have done our very best to protect our loyal customers and our dedicated employees," the statement read.
CDC guidelines do not require businesses to close in cases like this, but the organization said it is taken extra steps out of an abundance of caution.
Ivanka trump later made a stop in Dallas, North Carolina on Thursday, where she spoke to supporters.
Among other travel, Ivanka was seen this week with the first family at Tuesday night's presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ivanka is now known to have been in recent, close contact with at least three people who have tested positive for coronavirus: her father, the first lady, and Hope Hicks, a senior aide to the president.
It was not immediately known when the White House learned of the conditions of Donald Trump, Melania Trump, or Hope Hicks.
Army veteran and Charlotte resident Sean Kilbane got to meet the president in-person as one of his guests for Tuesday's presidential debate.
Kilbane said he got his temperature checked at least five times, and he took a COVID-19 test a few hours before the debate.
"Even one of the White House medical staff physicians interviewed each of us that met with the president," Kilbane said. "It gave me a sense of security."
Kilbane said he's not concerned about the possibility of contracting COVID-19 because of the number of hurdles he had to go through to meet the president.
He added he also contracted the virus in April.
"I pray for the president for a quick recovery for him and Melania and everybody else across this nation," Kilbane said.
Anytime someone tests positive for the coronavirus, contact tracers have an opportunity to determine who else may have been in contact with the patient, and who then may have been at risk for exposure.
Coronavirus symptoms could take days to appear in a patient -- if they appear at all. Some patients do not develop any symptoms at all, but can still be an exposure risk to others.
The White House has access to near-unlimited resources, including a constant supply of quick-result tests.
Trump, the vice president and other senior staff have been tested for COVID-19 daily since two people who work at the White House complex tested positive in early May, prompting the White House to step up precautions. Everyone who comes into contact with the president also receives a quick-result test.
Yet since the early days of the pandemic, experts have questioned the health and safety protocols at the White House and asked why more wasn’t being done to protect the commander in chief. Trump continued to shake hands with visitors long after public health officials were warning against it and he initially resisted being tested. He has been reluctant to practice his own administration’s social distancing guidelines for fear of looking weak, including refusing under almost all circumstances to wear a mask in public.
Gaston County DHHS released the following statement about COVID concerns related to Ivanka Trump’s recent:
We understand there is a lot of public interest and concern about Ivanka Trump’s recent visit to Gaston County and local events with her in attendance, in light of President Trump’s recent announcement regarding his COVID-19 test results.
At this point, we have no information that someone at the event(s) in question was positive. Because of the public interest and potential for local impact we have reached out to our partners at North Carolina DHHS and have a plan in place to facilitate timely response in the event we learn otherwise.
As a reminder a “close contact” (those most likely to become infected from someone who is positive) is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset. So a close contact is not someone who walks by on the street or eats in a restaurant more than 6 feet away from someone who is positive, but rather someone who is in close proximity to someone else for an extended period of time. Wearing masks greatly reduces the chances of exposure.
If someone you are close to tells you they are a contact to COVID and you are concerned about your health please consult with your doctor to determine the appropriate plan of care and any recommendations specific to you. Our COVID call center is open during normal operating hours as a resource to the public and to answer general questions. The number is (704) 862-5303.
As we continue response to COVID-19 please remember the 3 W’s: wear your masks, wait or practice social distancing, and wash your hands frequently. In the past week, we’ve had over 350 Gaston County residents test positive – presumptively these were people who could be going to work, going to the grocery store, or taking their children to soccer practice. These measures will help us work towards our goal of reducing the spread.
Tegna and the Associated Press contributed to this report