Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club partially closed after positive COVID tests

Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Florida, was partially closed Friday after some staff members tested positive for the coronavirus, two people familiar with the events confirmed.

The closure affected service in the dining room and at the beach club, according to The Associated Press. The two people familiar with the events confirmed that was the case; they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The Associated Press cited an email that went to members of the club, which also serves as Trump’s permanent residence. The moves were taken out of “an abundance of caution,” and some workers were quarantined, according to the email.

A spokesperson for the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. A woman who answered the phone at Mar-a-Lago said “no comment” and hung up when asked if the club was open.

The Florida Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The club is set to host events during the Republican National Committee spring retreat in Florida next month. It has been Trump’s post-presidency base of operations, where he has hosted Republican officials.

Coronavirus cases have been declining for weeks in Florida, which reopened businesses months before much of the nation. But the state is still averaging about 5,000 new cases a day, according to a New York Times database.

Dr. Alina Alonso, director of the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County, said this week that cases had been declining locally, and she was “cautiously optimistic” about the course of the virus. But she warned the public that it was too early to declare victory over the pandemic.