KEY POINTS

  • White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Trump wanted to be in the Oval Office on Tuesday
  • Safety preparations were implemented in the West Wing to keep staffers safe
  • Trump’s doctor said the president had been symptom-free for 24 hours

In the wake of President Donald Trump's discharge from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he was treated for COVID-19, the president returned to the Oval Office late Wednesday, where he was briefed on coronavirus stimulus talks and the latest hurricane to threaten U.S. shores.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Trump wanted to be in the Oval Office on Tuesday, but safety preparations needed to be implemented first, CNN reported. Trump was discharged Monday from the hospital to the White House medical unit.

"He continues to work," Meadows said. "We've got a number of safety protocols with full PPE, masks, goggles, and the like for any direct interaction with the president in those areas."

Meadow said ventilation in the West Wing was being upgraded. Safety carts with personal protective equipment were set up in the West Wing with gowns, masks, and goggles. Staffers were expected to use the protective kits when interacting with the president.

Before Trump returned to the Oval Office the White House mulled over the option of having the president work from the Diplomatic Reception Room and the Map Room. Both rooms are close to the White House medical unit and are equipped to allow the president to go live on television.

Trump’s doctor said the president had been symptom-free for 24 hours and his vital signs were stable. Dr. Sean Conley also said Trump, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 five days ago, told him, “I feel great!”

Conley declined to say which medications the president was still taking. He received an experimental antibody cocktail Friday and was given a five-day course of the antiviral Remdesivir as well as the anti-inflammatory steroid dexamethasone.

Conley said the president had not required any supplemental oxygen since returning to the White House late Monday and had been fever-free for four days.