Trump says 'I will most likely get tested' for coronavirus having initially said he would not

President aksed if he was being ‘selfish’ by not being screened

Donald Trump has said he will “most likely” get tested for coronavirus, having initially said he had no plan to do so.

As recently as a aay ago, the White House said neither the president or vice president planned to get tested for COVID-19 despite concern the president had been photographed standing next to an aide of the leader of Brazil, who had tested positive.

“Exposures from the case are being assessed, which will dictate next steps,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement

“Both the president and vice president had almost no interactions with the individual who tested positive and do not require being tested at this time.”

On Friday, as Mr Trump declared a national emergency in order to help bolster the response to the disease, he was asked if was being “selfish” by not getting tested.

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“Most likely, yes,” Mr Trump told a reporter, when asked if he would get tested at some point. “Not for that reason, but because I think I will do it anyway.”

He added: “Fairly soon, we’re working out a schedule.”

At the event in the Rose Garden of the White House, Mr Trump was also asked whether Americans should listen to their doctors or the advice of Anthony Fauci, head of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases, who said Americans who have contact with an infected individual should self-isolate and get a test.

“I think they have to listen to their doctors and I think they shouldn’t be jumping to get the test unless it’s necessary,” Mr Trump said.

It was pointed out to the president that a number of other US politicians had taken the decision to self-quarantine after learning of contact with people who had tested positive.

“I don’t know that I had exposure,” Mr Trump responded.

“But I don’t have any of the symptoms. And we do have a White House doctor and, I should say, many White House doctors – and I asked them that same question and they said, ‘You don’t have any symptoms whatsoever’.”