The report of the cases and officers coming in close contact stems from three people familiar with agency staffing who spoke with The Washington Post.
The revelation that over 100 agents that guard the president and the White House are at home either sick or in quarantine, comes as the nation hits another daily case count of over 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The spread of the virus through its ranks has decreased the agency’s core security team by 10 percent. Most of the cases have been linked to President Donald Trump’s frenzied last-minute campaign blitzes across the country in the days leading up to Tuesday’s election, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the situation.
After Trump came down with COVID-19 in October, the Secret Service became increasingly concerned for its agents as more and more people in Trump’s inner circle tested positive for the virus. It is a well-known fact that most people in the White House do not wear masks or practice social distancing.
Several of Trump’s close associates, including White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and political advisers Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, have also fallen ill, according to reports, reports Market Watch.
In a statement to The Hill, the agency said that it “successfully carried out its protective obligations associated with the presidential campaign while fulfilling its statutory protective responsibilities.”
“The Secret Service maintains well-established protocols inclusive of testing, conducting contact tracing related to confirmed and suspected exposure, and immediately isolating of any employee who tests positive for COVID-19,” the agency said. “This program ensures that every precaution is taken to keep our protectees, employees, families, and the general public, safe and healthy.”
