Donald Trump and Melania test positive for COVID-19: Live news

US President Donald Trump has said in a tweet that he and his wife Melania have contracted the coronavirus and are entering quarantine. Trump’s tweet on Friday came after Hope Hicks, one of his closest advisers, tested positive for the disease, after months of downplaying the severity of a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States. The news reverberated through world media and financial markets, raising questions over what will be the effects on next month’s presidential election. Here are the latest updates: 10:47 GMT – Stocks, oil prices extend losses United States stock futures extended losses after President Donald Trump said he and his wife have tested positive for the coronavirus, weeks ahead of elections. Futures for the S 500 slid 1.21 percent by early afternoon in Asia, while US Treasury yields also fell as bond prices rose. The US dollar was also higher, particularly against the British pound, the Australian and New Zealand dollars as investors sought what they consider relatively safe assets. Read the full story here. 10:10 GMT – Trump’s comments on coronavirus: a timeline US President Donald Trump has underplayed the pandemic for months, eschewing masks, criticizing others who wear them and holding large rallies with unmasked supporters against the advice of public health professionals. Here is a timeline of some of his comments: January 22 to CNBC: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” February 27 at the White House: “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” March 10 after meeting Republican senators: “This was unexpected…And it hit the world. And we’re prepared, and we’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.” March 15 at a White House briefing: “This is a very contagious virus. It’s incredible. But it’s something that we have tremendous control over.” April 3 at a White House briefing: “With the masks, it’s going to be really a voluntary thing. You can do it, you don’t have to do it. I’m choosing not to do it, but some people may want to do it and that’s OK…As I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens…I don’t see it for myself, I just don’t.” style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">