Dr Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has entered a “modified quarantine” after coming into contact with a White House staffer who tested positive for the coronavirus, according to CNN.

Dr Fauci, a key member of the White House coronavirus task force, told the news organisation he would work from home and wear a mask for 14 days after making "low risk" contact with the staffer.

A low-risk contact means he "was not in close proximity to the person who tested positive during the time when that person was known to be positive for the virus," CNN's Jake Tapper reported.

The top doctor said he had been tested for the coronavirus already and received a negative result.

Dr Fauci has played a key role in the US government's response to the deadly pandemic, regularly appearing at White House press briefings alongside president Donald Trump to give advice to the nation.

His decision to enter quarantine comes amid a spate of confirmed cases of the coronavirus among people who work at the White House. Katie Miller, a spokesperson for vice president Mike Pence, has also tested positive, as did a military valet to president Trump.

Dr Fauci joins two other members of the coronavirus task force who are already self-quarantining: Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner, and Director Robert Redfield, head of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

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