Trump to visit CDC after initial trip canceled

President Trump will visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta on Friday afternoon after the White House initially canceled the trip.

Trump told reporters earlier Friday morning that the administration had canceled the trip because of a suspected case of coronavirus at CDC headquarters. Trump said the person had tested negative and that he was working to reschedule the trip.

White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham later told reporters aboard Air Force One that the trip was back on and said there would likely be a tour of the facility.

Grisham said a CDC staff member was suspected of contracting the coronavirus and that officials canceled the trip “out of an abundance of caution” because the White House believed the test results wouldn’t be available in time. Grisham said that “thankfully” the person tested negative and that the trip was back on.

An updated White House schedule issued Friday morning shows that Trump will visit CDC headquarters in Atlanta around 4 p.m. local time. He will travel there after surveying tornado damage in Nashville.

Trump’s CDC visit comes amid growing concerns about the global outbreak of the coronavirus. More than 200 people in the United States have been sickened.

Before departing the White House on Friday, the president signed a bill providing $8.3 billion in emergency funding to help the country combat the coronavirus, which originated in China and has spread to more than 80 countries and territories.