Donald Trump leaving the Rose Garden -

Evan Vucci / AP / SIPA

  • As we have known since Friday, US President Donald Trump tested positive for Covid-19.

  • Its contamination certainly took place at the Rose Garden, one of the gardens of the White House, during a ceremony to formalize the appointment of conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

  • Total absence of distancing, non-wearing of the mask, tactile contact, closed place… How did a simple ceremony turn into cluster and fear for the entire White House?

Clusters, by force, we know some sadly famous.

The evangelical ceremony in Mulhouse in France, the Bergamo-Valence Champions League match for Italy or Ischgl, an Austrian ski resort whose hosts have reportedly spread the coronavirus in several countries this winter.

Let us be reassured right away, the Rose Garden cluster should be much less fatal and cause much less spread than these “superclusters” which have sown death in Europe.

More media, on the other hand, that seems certain.

Because if this new cluster currently has "only" 23 positive cases, there is among them the President of the United States himself.

Fatally, when he announced his positive test, all the American media wondered where and how the most protected man in the world could have caught Covid-19.

And so the Rose Garden has become, in less than 24 hours, one of the most famous clusters in the world.

23 POSITIVE COVID TESTS:



1 + 2.

President & Melania Trump


3. Bill Stepien, Trump campaign Bishop


4. Hope Hicks


5. Kellyanne Conway


6. Sen.

Mike Lee


7. Sen.

Thom Tillis


8. Ronna McDaniel


9. Notre Dame Pres.

Jenkins


10-12.

Three WH reporters


13-23.

Eleven staffers frm Cleveland debate

- Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) October 3, 2020

Nomination ceremony

When you read these lines, you are probably thinking: "Excellent sense of storytelling, but what is the Rose Garden?"

It is one of the gardens of the White House, about 40 meters long by 20 meters wide.

Known for its beauty and its tranquility, the place is the regular scene of press conferences, ceremonies, receptions of medal-winning American sportsmen, even photo shoots organized by American presidents.

On September 26, Donald Trump organized a ceremony there to formalize the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

The judge was appointed by the president to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died a few days earlier.

A major political event in the United States which therefore requires a ceremony.

No mask or distancing

Nothing abnormal so far.

Except that the number of positive cases has loosened a few tongues and brought up some embarrassing photos at the level of (non-) respect of barrier gestures.

It was George Conway, husband of former Presidential Advisor Kellyanne Conway (present at the ceremony and since tested positive), who angrily tweeted a photo of the ceremony.

No mask, and for social distancing, we will also come back.

I'm livid.

https://t.co/pbcIvlEE8e

- George Conway (@ gtconway3d) October 3, 2020

Some could argue that since the ceremony takes place outside, wearing a mask is not obvious and that the famous barrier gestures can be a little less strict.

Except that many American media have shown that many people who tested positive following this ceremony were "strangely" sitting side by side, as shown in the tweet below.

Did you say contamination?

The @WhiteHouse cluster.

Graphic from @CNN: with a red circle, personalities tested positive for coronavirus after the appointment ceremony of future Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett pic.twitter.com/1lwMT84MKv

- Gregory Philipps (@gregphil) October 3, 2020

Handshake and closed place

Either way,

The New York Times

put an end to this debate, posting photos of part of the ceremony that took place indoors.

Once again, no masks, let alone social distancing.

But it's outside!

Not only, this NYT photo shows guests at the Rose Garden ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett also typing the chat inside.

How many positive tests will be announced this weekend?

pic.twitter.com/DxpkR1x3Ki

- Philippe Berry (@ptiberry) October 3, 2020

Some guests even had physical contact, according to the confidences of the president of Notre Dame University, Father John Jenkins.

Also present at the ceremony and positive, he apologized for shaking hands with several people.

Media overwhelm the ceremony

If ever Father Jenkins had not made a confession, other elements clearly showed the contacts between the members of the ceremony were frequent and tactile (and without even a mask), as several videos published by the American media

Politico

.

On Saturday, Sen.

Mike Lee was at Trump's announcement nominating Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

He mingled in the Rose Garden with other attendees.

On Thursday, he was diagnosed with coronavirus.

https://t.co/B4T4Er4OD6 pic.twitter.com/OxtZaDxQfi

- POLITICO (@politico) October 2, 2020

A cluster up to where?

For the moment therefore, 23 people have tested positive for the coronavirus.

But without reaching the broadcasts of Mulhouse or Bergamo, the cluster will perhaps not stop there.

What if the source of infection moved from the Rose Garden to the White House?

Many people attending the venue but not attending the Rose Garden ceremony have already tested positive.

In the press room, a member of the communications and two journalists tested positive, according to the

Washington Post

.

Just like Donald Trump's advisor Hope Hicks or his campaign manager Bill Stepien.

How far will the cluster extend?

This now remains a mystery, and above all a concern.

World

US Presidential: "The Covid is once again at the center of the campaign, which Donald Trump wanted to avoid"

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