Trump quarantines as virus situation worsens in Europe

US President Donald Trump went into quarantine Thursday night after a potential Covid-19 exposure, as more restrictions loomed in Europe in an attempt to contain the deadly pandemic.

Trump’s close White House aide Hope Hicks had tested positive earlier in the day, and the president and first lady Melania Trump were awaiting the results of their own tests, Trump tweeted.

“The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results,” he said on Twitter. “In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!”

“You know I spend a lot of time with Hope, and so does the first lady,” Trump had told Fox News earlier in the evening.

Hicks was on board Air Force One with the president as he traveled to Cleveland, Ohio for the first presidential debate with his rival, Democrat Joe Biden, on Tuesday.

And she also joined Trump on his trip to a campaign stop in Minnesota on Wednesday.

The president routinely receives tests for Covid-19, though the exact frequency is not clear. (Jerome CARTILLIER | AFP)