Virginia governor, wife test positive for coronavirus

Ralph Northam, the governor of Virginia, and his wife have both tested positive for coronavirus but reportedly show no symptoms.

DeMicia Inman

Sep 25, 2020

The governor of Virginia and his wife have both tested positive for the coronavirus, a new statement revealed.

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The Associated Press confirmed Gov. Ralph Northam and his wife Pamela are two of the latest cases of COVID-19. According to the report, he showed no symptoms of the respiratory illness while his wife’s symptoms were mild. The coupled shared their plans to isolate in quarantine for 10 days and the governor committed to carrying out his professional duties from home.

Northam described the coronavirus as “very real and very contagious,” AP reports. He continued, “We are grateful for your thoughts and support, but the best thing you can do for us — and most importantly, for your fellow Virginians — is to take this seriously.”

His office informed AP it is working with health officials to trace the Northam’s close contacts. Both had made public appearances shortly before their diagnosis. The couple was told Wednesday that an Executive Mansion staff member who worked in their living quarters displayed COVID-19 symptoms, and tested positive for the virus.

The Democratic governor, who is also also a doctor, issued multiple mandates to hinder the coronavirus pandemic. Northam was typically seen wearing his own protective mask and made the gear mandatory statewide. According to Law And The Workplace, Virginia became the first state to adopt mandatory COVID-19 workplace safety requirements including flexible sick-leave policies and policies to determine when workers known or suspected to have had coronavirus, can return to the office.

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A post shared by Governor Ralph Northam (@governorralphnortham)

Though gatherings of over 250 individuals are banned in the state, AP reports President Donald Trump has planned a rally in Newport News. Northam’s staff asked that the event, expected to draw a crowd of 4,000, be canceled or downsized.

Other governors who have tested positive for COVID-19 include Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, who according to theGrio, opposed a mask mandate. Kevin Stitt, governor of Oklahoma, also tested positive for coronavirus, theGrio reports. According to the Associated Press, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced his rapid test for COVID-19 was positive, although another test later delivered a negative reading.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 144,433 total cases of coronavirus in Virginia since the start of the pandemic. Of those sick, 5,731 cases were in the last seven days. A total of 3,136 people have died of COVID-19 in Virginia.