US President Donald Trump tests negative for corona

New York: US President Donald Trump has tested negative for COVID-19, according to his doctor Sean Conley.

"Last night after an in-depth discussion with the president about Covid-19 testing he elected to proceed," Conley said in a memorandum released through Trump's Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham on Saturday evening. "This evening I received confirmation that the test is negative."

Trump said earlier in the day at a White House news conference that he had taken the test "only because the press is going crazy" while his doctor did not consider it necessary and he did not want to jump the queue while people were waiting for it.

He said, "I decided I should, based on the press conference yesterday. People were asking, 'Did I take the test?'" He had been criticised by the media for not having taken the test even though he had been exposed to a person who came down with the disease. One reporter went to the extent of asking him on Friday if he was being "selfish" by not getting tested.

Following the outcry over possible exposures, the White House introduced temperature screening on Saturday for people who may come in contact with Trump or Vice President Mike Pence.

Among the first reported to be affected by it was a journalist who was running a temperature and was barred from the news conference.