Two Caribbean American leaders have extended best wishes to United States President Donald Trump, who on Friday disclosed that he tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) and was later taken to the hospital.
The White House said Trump, 74, was given an experimental drug for what it described as mild symptoms.
Late Friday, the President was flown by helicopter to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington for what is expected to be a stay of a few days.
“I wish President Trump and the First Lady a speedy recovery,” New York State Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, who chairs the Brooklyn Democratic Party, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC).
“His COVID-19 diagnosis is a reminder of how important it is to wear a face covering, wash your hands and keep a safe distance from people outside your immediate family unit,” added Bichotte, who represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn, New York.
“With COVID-19 cases ticking up across Brooklyn, it is more important than ever to take these potentially life-saving measures seriously,” she continued.
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, tweeted that New York City has seen “the depths of damage this virus caused,” adding: “My faith guides my thoughts on the Trumps full recovery.”
The White House said on Friday that Trump had a fever, congestion and a cough.
First Lady Melania Trump also said she tested positive for the virus, as well as Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien.
In a short tweet, after arriving at the hospital, Trump wrote: ““Going well, I think! Thank you to all. LOVE!!!”
Earlier in a short video message, after arriving at the hospital, the US president said he was “doing well.”
“I think I’m doing very well, but we’re going to make sure that things work out,” he said. “The first lady is doing very well.”
With just 31 days before the November 3 Presidential Elections, political observers say Trump’s sudden diagnosis has put the race, with Joe Biden, his Democratic challenger, in tumult.
Biden, who has tested negative for the virus, along with his wife, Jill, was gracious in wishing Trump a speedy recovery.
“This is not a matter of politics; it’s a bracing reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously,” said Biden at a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday.
CMC
