A spokesman says vice president Mike Pence will continue with his aggressive campaign schedule after his chief of staff, Marc Short, tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday.

Mr Pence’s spokesman Devin O’Malley says the vice president and his wife, Karen Pence, both tested negative for the virus on Saturday and remain in good health.

Mr Short is Mr Pence’s closest aide and the vice president is considered a “close contact” under Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

Mr O’Malley says that “in consultation with the White House Medical Unit, the Vice President will maintain his schedule in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel.”

Those guidelines mandate that essential workers exposed to someone with coronavirus closely monitor for symptoms of Covid-19 and wear a mask whenever around other people.

After a day of campaigning on Saturday, Mr Pence was seen wearing a mask as he returned to Washington aboard Air Force Two once the news of Mr Short’s diagnosis was made public.