After extensive travel with President, Donald Trump, who campaigned across several states in the final days before the election, 130 members of the U.S Secret Service contracted COVID-19 or are in quarantine, Washington Post reports on Friday.
The White House itself has seen a number of outbreaks, including one that saw Trump himself become ill, and more recently, chief of staff Mark Meadows contracted the new coronavirus.
The Washington Post cited one government source as saying not all the cases within the Secret Service, the agency that protects high-value individuals, including the president may be traced back to travel and some might stem from the White House itself.
The newspaper said the high number of people infected, or in quarantine or isolation because they were in close contact with someone who tested positive, is putting a strain on the agency.
CNN reported that personnel of the Secret Service contracted COVID-19 in their dozens with the exact number hidden from the low-level agents by their superiors.
The White House is known for having a disregard for key public health guidelines including mask-wearing and social distancing.
