U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has been hospitalized due to health reasons not related to the coronavirus, according to a Commerce Department spokesperson.
“Secretary Ross has been admitted into the hospital for minor, non-coronavirus related issues. He is doing well and we anticipate his release soon,” according to a statement NBC News obtained.
Ross started working remotely as coronavirus began to spread in the United States. The former banker and private equity investor was working from his home in Florida in late March.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside office hours.
The 82-year-old is the oldest member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Health authorities have warned that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus, which has infected more than 3.7 million people in the U.S. — the worst affected country in the world.
Ross is one of the key voices of business in the Trump administration. His job is to make sure American entrepreneurs and companies have the tools required to create jobs and business opportunity.
During his 55-year financial career, he helped restructure more than $400 of assets in a wide range of businesses related to aviation, apparel, banking, real estate, restaurant, shipyard, steel, textile and trucking industries.
