Kathmandu. While President Donald Trump may be dismissive of the risks posed by the global pandemic, the situation at the White House has grown incredibly tense. In the past 24 hours itself, the virus had spread through the ranks of several senior Republican members and Trump’s inner circle. The most recent positive case has been of Stephen Miller, who serves as a top policy advisor to the President.

According to reports, the Rose Garden event held by the President  on September 26 to announce Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination, that was attended by around 200 people might have set the stage for the spread of the virus. Trump announced mere days after the event on October 2 that he and Melania Trump were both infected. Since at least 10 individuals who had attended the event have tested positive. After spending three nights at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Trump returned to the White House, and he is still recovering from Covid-19. His ride down the facility roads incited outrage amongst medical practitioners and the American populace.

The offices at the White House remained largely empty on Tuesday, as the Guardian called it a “ghost town.” The White House staff and crew have anonymously complained about the time that it took for them to receive the information of the rising infections, casting blame on the chief of staff, Mark Meadows. While most remained anxious to voice their opinions publicly, the discontent stemming from the current situation has been palpable.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has now commented that the situation in the White House could have been prevented. Assuming a critical eye towards the President’s personal conduct in disregarding masks and deeming the virus a hoax, he has exclaimed, “That is a reality, right there. And every day that goes by more people are popping up that are infected. It’s not a hoax.”