Texas Mayor Tests Positive for COVID-19 Just Hours Before Trump Meeting

The mayor of Orange, Texas, has apologized for being unable to meet with President Donald Trump on Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19.

In a Facebook video directed towards the city's residents, Larry Spears Jr. revealed he had been given a negative test prior to a recent visit by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, but received updated results just before Trump was set to visit the area.

Yesterday, the president made appearances at Lake Charles in Louisiana and Orange to survey damage caused by Hurricane Laura, which hit the Gulf coast close to the town of Cameron in the early hours of Thursday before spreading inland.

"Two days ago, the morning after Hurricane Laura hit, Governor Abbot came and did a press conference with us, and before we were able to be around Gov. Abbot we had to take a COVID-19 test. Mine came back negative," Spears Jr.

"This morning when President Trump was coming we had to take another test, and mine came [back] positive. I had to leave the building. They escorted me to my vehicle."

"Because of the positive test that happened I was not able to be a part of that. So I am sorry, I did not want to let you down. I am not going to lie, I am a little bit embarrassed because I don't know what happened, but I am now at home with my family. My wife and children have just gotten back so I am going to quarantine with them."

In the at-times emotional video, Spears Jr. said that he was planning on taking another test, noting: "Two days ago I was negative, somehow today it was positive."

In a briefing on Saturday that was shared to Facebook, Trump received updates about affected areas from Texas state officials, including Gov. Abbott and Ted Cruz.

In one question later in the briefing, Trump played down any link between worsening storms in the state and the consequences of climate change.

"You have had tremendous storms in Texas for many decades and for many centuries, and that's the way it is," the president said. "We handle them as they come. All I can do is handle them as they come... and nobody has ever done a better job of it."

As officials survey the damage, which had wind speeds of more than 100 miles per hour and came with the risk of severe storm surges, it is believed that at least 16 people died during the conditions, a dozen in Louisiana and four in Texas.

Hundreds of thousands of residents across both states are without power this weekend, and it could take weeks before utilities are fully restored. More than half a million people in coastal areas were asked to evacuate last week, although not all complied.

"While we are grateful that the damage of Hurricane Laura was far less severe than expected, many communities in Southeast Texas have experienced significant damage from this storm and the state... is already initiating recovery efforts and ensuring these communities have the support they need to rebuild," Gov. Abbott said Thursday.