Mike Pence
Mike PenceReuters

Marc Short, US Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, tested positive for the coronavirus Saturday and is quarantining, said a White House statement quoted by Axios.

Short is Pence's closest aide, and was one of the most powerful forces on the White House coronavirus task force.

Earlier on Saturday, it was reported that Marty Obst, a top adviser to Pence, tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week.

Obst serves as Pence's senior political adviser but is not a government employee.

Bloomberg News first reported the positive test, citing three people familiar with the matter.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Obst developed symptoms of COVID-19, according to the report.

Obst tested positive on Wednesday, two of the people said. He was quiet on Twitter that day, with just one retweet, but has since been active on the social media platform, posting criticism of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

While he’s not a government employee, Obst is frequently in contact with Pence and his staff and visits the White House grounds, noted Bloomberg. He was last around Pence about a week ago but wasn’t in close proximity to the vice president, two of the people said.

Obst declined to comment and spokespeople for Pence didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for coronavirus this past May. As a result, Pence distanced himself from President Donald Trump and the rest of the West Wing.

The Vice President tested negative for COVID-19 earlier this month, hours before his debate with Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

That test came after Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and several other White House officials tested positive for the virus.