WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 02: U.S. President Donald Trump leads a meeting with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and pharmaceutical executives in Cabinet Room of the White House on March 2, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump and his Coronavirus Task Force team met with pharmaceutical companies representatives who are actively working to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Ex-health adviser perplexed by Trump's Obama claim
00:45 - Source: CNN
CNN  — 

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee announced that some people who were potentially in contact with a coronavirus patient attended the group’s Washington conference earlier this week – as did several political leaders.

The annual three-day event, which ran from Sunday to Tuesday, attracts more than 18,000 people, according to the pro-Israel lobbying group’s website. The news comes following confirmation earlier Wednesday of the 11th US death from the disease as the global toll of coronavirus deaths continues to climb into the thousands.

AIPAC tweeted out an email on Wednesday that the group said it had sent to conference participants sharing the news.

“We have been made aware that a group of Policy Conference attendees from New York was potentially in contact prior to the conference with an individual who contracted coronavirus,” the email reads. “That individual did not attend Policy Conference. The group has been added to the self-quarantine list.”

The letter added that “to our knowledge, no one who attended the conference has tested positive for coronavirus at this time,” noting that the group was in contact with the DC Health Department.

This year’s speakers included Vice President Mike Pence, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Cory Booker, Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The virus’ spread, with a running tally of over 92,000 global cases among more than 70 countries and territories, has impacted foreign affairs.

CNN reported last week that more than 60 US personnel who traveled to Israel for an exercise to train against regional threats such as Iran began returning to their bases in Europe on Friday at the request of the Israeli government after the exercise was canceled, although none of them were reported to be ill.

Additionally, a senior administration official told CNN last week that a meeting of leaders of Southeast Asia nations and President Donald Trump scheduled for next month in Las Vegas has been postponed in light of concerns about the coronavirus.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Barbara Starr, Nicole Gaouette, Zachary Cohen and Jason Hoffman contributed to this report.