Upasana Bhat
BBC Monitoring

Some strong reaction to President Trump and his wife testing positive for Covid-19 is coming from China, the country where the virus first emerged and has been frequently criticised by the president.

Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of China's state-run Global Times newspaper, says Trump and First Lady Melania have "paid the price for his gamble to play down" the Covid-19 pandemic and that this may also "negatively affect" his campaign.

"President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US' pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his re-election," he wrote on Twitter, external.

Twitter is banned in mainland China, but Hu is active on the platform.

Hu had also condemned the quality of the first presidential debate, external between Trump and Biden, saying "such chaos at the top of US politics reflects division, anxiety of US society and the accelerating loss of advantages of the US political system".

Here's a tweet Vice-President Mike Pence sent following the confirmation that President Trump and First Lady Melania had tested positive for Covid-19:

Just a day before he tested positive, President Donald Trump attended a rally at an airport in Duluth, Minnesota.

As has been the case at most of his public appearances, the president did not wear a face mask.

The crowd was not socially distanced and most of those who attended appeared to not have worn face coverings either.

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

We'll bring you more reaction and analysis following President Trump's positive test result for Covid-19. But let's take a quick look at the main coronavirus stories in the UK this morning:

• An MP is facing calls to resign after she was suspended by her party for travelling to Westminster while awaiting the results of a Covid-19 test - which turned out to be positive. Margaret Ferrier said she made the journey because she was feeling "much better" - but Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says her colleague's actions were "utterly indefensible"
• The loss of a sense of smell may be a more reliable indicator of the virus than a cough or fever, research suggests. A study by University College London (UCL) of 590 people who lost their sense of smell or taste earlier in the year found 80% had coronavirus antibodies
• People living alone in parts of Wales facing fresh lockdown restrictions are to get extra support. They are currently banned from meeting other households indoors but First Minister Mark Drakeford is considering allowing single people to form a social bubble
• Later on we will get the weekly update of the Office for National Statistics' survey on household coronavirus infections across England and Wales. We are also expecting an updated estimate on the UK's R number, which rates the virus' ability to spread
• The stats should help to give us an idea of whether local restrictions and the latest changes to social distancing rules have slowed the spread of the virus

The White House tests aides and anyone else who comes into contact with the president daily.

In May, Vice-President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller tested positive and later recovered

That same month, a member of the US Navy who was serving as one of President Trump's personal valets tested positive. But the White House said at the time that neither the president nor vice-president were affected

National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, a number of Secret Service agents, a Marine One pilot and a White House cafeteria worker have also tested positive

And here's the tweet First Lady Melania Trump sent earlier:

Image source, Reuters

President Trump's result came after one of his closest aides - Hope Hicks - tested positive for coronavirus. According to Bloomberg News, Hicks is experiencing symptoms of Covid-19, and was quarantined on Air Force One on the trip back from Minnesota.

A White House official quoted by The Hill political news outlet said that contact tracing had been carried out "and the appropriate notifications and recommendations have been made".

During a phone call with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night, Trump said he and First Lady Melania, who has also tested positive, "spend a lot of time with Hope".

Hicks was a campaign spokeswoman during Trump's candidacy before becoming communications director in his White House. She stepped down in March 2018 to become chief communications officer at Rupert Murdoch's Fox, before returning to the White House in February.

The White House official doctor Sean Conley has released a statement on the president and first lady's positive results.

"This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melanie have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus," he said, referring to the scientific name for the virus that causes Covid-19.

"The President and the First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.

"The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country's greatest medical professionals and institutions. Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments."

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America reporter

A week after Donald Trump told Americans not to worry about Covid-19 because "it affects virtually nobody" except the elderly and those with heart conditions, the president himself has tested positive for the virus.

It is difficult to overstate exactly how earth-shaking a development this is, just 32 days before the US elections.

The president will have to stay in isolation for treatment. Campaign rallies are off. The next presidential debate, in two weeks, is in question.

The recurring message from the president, that the nation is "rounding the turn" in its handling of the virus, has been undermined by his own illness.

Just two days ago, during the first debate, Trump belittled Democratic opponent Joe Biden for frequently wearing masks and not having campaign rallies that matched his own in size.

Now, the White House and the campaign will have to answer why the president took such a seemingly cavalier attitude toward protecting himself - and how many others in the White House and the higher echelons of the US government may have been exposed.

During times of national turmoil, the American public tends to rally in support of the president. It may not be enough to insulate him from the questions that follow, however.

Image source, Reuters

The White House now says President Trump will not appear at a campaign event in Florida on Friday, as had been originally scheduled. He was due to hold a rally at Sanford airport near the city of Orlando later.

But it appears that he will be holding a virtual conference on "Covid-19 support to vulnerable seniors."

Good morning if you're joining us in the UK, and hello to all of you around the world. Welcome to our Iive coverage of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic.

The main news this Friday is that US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania have tested positive for Covid-19 and are now in isolation.

The president, aged 74 and therefore in a high-risk group, announced the news in a tweet, saying: "We will get through this TOGETHER".

The result came after one of his closest aides - 31-year-old Hope Hicks, tested positive. She travelled on Air Force One to the TV debate between Trump and his Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden in Ohio on Tuesday.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest news and analysis.