Inside the White House Event Now Under Covid-19 Scrutiny

At least 11 people who attended a White House event on Sept. 26 have since tested positive for the coronavirus. Eight of them, including the first lady, sat in the first several rows of a nomination ceremony for Judge Amy Coney Barrett in the White House Rose Garden. Those diagnosed include the president himself.

Few people at the outdoor ceremony wore masks or kept their social distance. But experts say the more risky time spent that day was at a reception inside the White House, where President Trump met with a smaller group of guests.

There, Mr. Trump mingled with Judge Barrett, her family and prominent Republicans in the Oval Office and in the Diplomatic Room. Research has shown that transmission of the virus tends to happen indoors, and gatherings where guests are maskless and in tight quarters can be a recipe for “super spreader” events.

Here are some of the scenes from inside the White House on the day of Judge Barrett’s nomination ceremony.

It is not clear when exactly the attendees who later tested positive were infected, and the White House has said all guests tested negative for the virus before the event. Still, it can take several days after exposure for the virus to be detected by a test.

The indoor White House gathering was far from the only time this week that Mr. Trump was in close quarters indoors with family, aides or supporters.

Ahead of the first presidential debate on Tuesday night in Cleveland, Mr. Trump held closed-door preparation sessions on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with a half-dozen aides and advisers, including Bill Stepien, his campaign manager; Kellyanne Conway, a former White House adviser; and Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey. All of them have since tested positive for the virus. Rudolph W. Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer, also participated in debate preparation sessions but has said he tested negative.

Since the event in the Rose Garden, Mr. Trump traveled in close quarters aboard Air Force One to and from the debate in Cleveland and campaign events in Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Jersey. At least five other people on those flights later tested positive.