By Helen Regan, Adam Renton, Steve George, Jessie Yeung, Tara John and Ed Upright, CNN
From CNN's Alta Spells
The United States recorded 43,752 new Covid-19 infections and 857 new deaths on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
At least 7,277,759 Covid-19 cases, including 207,789 virus-related fatalities, have now been reported in the US since the start of the pandemic.
The totals include cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.
CNN is tracking the US cases:
US President Trump has tested positive for coronavirus -- and he belongs to an at-risk population, said CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
"This is one of the great concerns," Gupta said. "He's a vulnerable person because of his age and because of preexisting conditions, and this is the sort of thing that you know his medical team is going to have to be watching out for, and see if he does have symptoms and how quickly these symptoms may occur and what to do about it.
He cautioned that it was "tough to speculate" what might happen, and that Trump will likely recover from the disease. The fact Trump and Melania are going into isolation suggests they are asymptomatic at the moment, he added
"It is something that, you know, is not entirely unexpected," he said. "It is not surprising (with) the contagiousness of this, and several people now in the West Wing that the President had regular contact with that had this disease."
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The White House has released a statement from President Donald Trump’s physician confirming the President and First Lady Melania Trump's diagnosis.
In a letter dated October 1, White House doctor Sean P. Conley said he received confirmation that the President and first lady had tested positive for coronavirus.
He said "they are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence."
Conley added that he expects Trump to "continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering."
From CNN's Laura He
US stock futures plunged Friday after President Donald Trump said that he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus.
Stock futures were lower earlier as news broke that top Trump aide Hope Hicks tested positive for the virus, and that Trump and his wife would be tested and would start a "quarantine process."
But those losses quickly accelerated after Trump said those tests were positive.
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First lady Melania Trump has tweeted about her positive Covid-19 test results.
“We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements," she said. "Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together."
From CNN's Kaitlan Collins, Betsy Klein, Jim Acosta and Paul LeBlanc
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for coronavirus, the President announced early Friday morning.
"Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" Trump tweeted shortly before 1 am Friday.
The President had said earlier in the night that he planned to quarantine.
"Hope Hicks, who has been working so hard without even taking a small break, has just tested positive for Covid 19. Terrible! The First Lady and I are waiting for our test results. In the meantime, we will begin our quarantine process!" Trump tweeted Thursday night.
Hicks has traveled with the President multiple times recently, including to the debate in Cleveland on Tuesday, and was seen boarding Marine One, along with several other of the President's closest aides -- Jared Kushner, Dan Scavino and Nicholas Luna -- none of whom wore masks, on Wednesday as Trump was heading to a campaign rally in Minnesota.
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From CNN's Brian Rokus
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have both tested positive for Covid-19, the President said in a Twitter post Friday.
"Tonight, FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!," Trump said.
The President had said earlier that he planned to quarantine after his top aide Hope Hicks tested positive for Covid-19.
From CNN's Chandler Thornton
Australia has established a limited travel bubble with New Zealand, according to Australian Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack.
Speaking in a news conference on Friday, McCormack said "the establishment of a travel zone between Australia and New Zealand has been finalized."
McCormack announced the first phase of the arrangement, where "quarantine-free travel will be possible" from New Zealand to New South Wales and to the Northern Territory. The travel bubble is currently only one way from New Zealand to NSW and the Northern Territory.
The new travel bubble will go into effect October 16, McCormack said.
"The Department of Health has undertaken a public health risk assessment of Covid-19 in New Zealand, which indicated that New Zealand posed a low risk of Covid-19 transmission to Australia," McCormack added.
The Deputy Prime Minister said this new travel bubble will free up space for nearly 325 passengers a week to enter quarantine in Sydney so that more Australians abroad can return home.
From CNN Health’s Shelby Lin Erdman
President Donald Trump’s aide Hope Hicks, who tested positive for coronavirus, may have been contagious Tuesday night when she traveled with Trump and other staffers to the presidential debates in Ohio, according to CNN analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner.
“You're probably most contagious the day you develop symptoms, but you are contagious likely for up to 48 hours before that, which would certainly include the debate night,” Reiner told CNN’s Don Lemon.
CNN confirmed Hicks developed symptoms Wednesday night.
“Look, the Trump team refused to wear masks in the hall. You can see how outrageous that was. It was outrageous before we knew that a member of that team was already positive,” Reiner said.
“The entire team with the President should be quarantined for 14 days. That's CDC guidelines. It's not debatable,” Reiner added.
Trump confirmed he and first lady Melania Trump are waiting for the results of a Covid-19 test and have started a "quarantine process."
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