Vice President Mike Pence plans to maintain an aggressive campaign schedule this week despite an apparent outbreak of the coronavirus among his senior aides, the White House says.Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, and 맥스카지노�a couple of key staff surrounding the vice president맥스카지노� have tested positive for the virus, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday.The vice president, who along with his wife, Karen, tested negative on Sunday, according to his office, is considered a 맥스카지노�close contact맥스카지노� of the aides under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria but will not quarantine, his spokesman said.Devin O맥스카지노�Malley said Pence decided to maintain his travel schedule 맥스카지노�in consultation with the White House Medical Unit" and "in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel.맥스카지노� Those guidelines require that essential workers exposed to someone with the coronavirus closely monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and wear a mask whenever around other people.O맥스카지노�Malley said Pence and his wife, Karen, both tested negative on Saturday 맥스카지노�and remain in good health.맥스카지노�President Donald Trump commented on Short early Sunday after his plane landed at Joint Base Andrews, outside Washington. 맥스카지노�I did hear about it just now,맥스카지노� he said. 맥스카지노�And I think he맥스카지노�s quarantining. Yeah. I did hear about it. He맥스카지노�s going to be fine. But he맥스카지노�s quarantining.맥스카지노�Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease expert at George Mason University, called Pence맥스카지노�s decision to travel 맥스카지노�grossly negligent맥스카지노� regardless of the stated justification that Pence is an essential worker.맥스카지노�It맥스카지노�s just an insult to everybody who has been working in public health and public health response,맥스카지노� she said. 맥스카지노�I also find it really harmful and disrespectful to the people going to the rally맥스카지노� and the people on Pence맥스카지노�s own staff who will accompany him.맥스카지노�He needs to be staying home 14 days,맥스카지노� she added. 맥스카지노�Campaign events are not essential.맥스카지노�After a day of campaigning in Florida on Saturday, Pence was seen wearing a mask as he returned to Washington aboard Air Force Two shortly after the news of Short맥스카지노�s diagnosis was made public. He is scheduled to hold a rally on Sunday afternoon in Kinston, North Carolina, with travel planned to Minnesota on Monday and North Carolina once again on Tuesday.Video: Pence touts reelection bid at recent New Hampshire rallyPence, who has headed the White House coronavirus task force since late February, has repeatedly found himself in an uncomfortable position balancing political concerns with the administration's handling the pandemic that has killed more than 220,000 Americans. The vice president has advocated mask-wearing and social distancing, but often does not wear one himself and holds large political events where many people do not wear face-coverings.By virtue of his position as vice president, Pence is considered an essential worker. The White House did not address how Pence's political activities amounted to essential work.Short's diagnosis comes weeks after the coronavirus spread through the White House, infecting Trump, the first lady, and two dozen other aides, staffers and allies.Short, Pence's top aide and one of his closest confidants, did not travel with the vice president on Saturday. Top Pence political adviser Marty Obst tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week, a person familiar with the matter said.Pence's handling of his exposure to a confirmed positive case stands in contrast to how Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris responded when a close aide and a member of her campaign plane's charter crew tested positive for the virus earlier this month. She took several days off the campaign trail, citing her desire to act out of an abundance of caution.