Washington Monument shut down thanks to COVID-infected Trump official who gave private nighttime tours

One of America's most iconic landmarks has been closed to the public thanks to the actions of a Trump official who is infected with the novel coronavirus.

The Washington Post reports that the Washington Monument has been shut down by the United States Department of the Interior because Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, who has tested positive for COVID-19, had been giving private after-hours tours to associates.

Interior spokesman Nicholas Goodwin tells the Post that multiple staffers at the monument are now in quarantine after having been potentially exposed to the virus by Bernhardt earlier this week. This has resulted in a shortage of workers and has necessitated the closure of the monument.

"As we do in all circumstances when an employee attests to having covid-19, we work with our public health officials to ensure all guidance from the CDC is followed, such as identifying close contacts and cleaning areas as appropriate,” Goodwin said. "The Secretary was recently at the Washington Monument. In working with our public officials and out of an abundance of caution, a couple of employees have quarantined resulting in a temporary workforce reduction at the monument and its temporary closure."

Multiple Trump administration officials have come down with COVID-19, including most infamously President Donald Trump himself.

Some reports have claimed that President-elect Joe Biden plans to order a deep clean of Trump's disease-ridden White House before entering it on January 20th.