US Vice President Mike Pence and his wife have both tested negative for the novel coronavirus, his spokesperson announced.

“Pleased to report that the COVID-19 test results came back negative for both Vice President @Mike_Pence and Second Lady @KarenPence,” Xinhua news agency quoted Katie Miller, the Vice President’s Press Secretary, as saying in a tweet on Saturday night.

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Earlier in the day, Pence underwent the test after Friday’s announcement by his office saying that one of his staff members tested positive for the disease.

Pence said that the staff member was “doing well” with “mild” cold-like symptoms for a day and a half, and that the staffer had not been at the White House since Monday, according to the report.

He reiterated neither President Donald Trump nor himself had direct contact with the staff member, and said that health authorities have traced his contacts.

On Wednesday, Mario Diaz-Balart, a ninth-term Florida Republican had tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first American Congressman to contract the virus.

Earlier, President Donald Trump had tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

Trump agreed to the test after coming in contact with several members of a Brazilian presidential delegation visiting his Florida resort who have since tested positive for the virus.

Also on Wednesday, Democrat Representative from Utah Ben McAdams announced that he has tested positive for the virus which has so far infected over 8,700 people in the US and killed more than 130 others.

Trump dined with Bolsonaro and his press secretary, who later tested positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian President has also tested negative for the virus.

As of Sunday, the US has reported 26,138 confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, with a total of 340 deaths, according to the latest updates b the Maryland-based John hopkins University.

(With inputs from agency)