The mayor of Virginia’s capital city said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, but calls the symptoms “far milder” compared to when he contracted the virus last year — before getting vaccinated and boosted.
Writing on Twitter, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said he will follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and isolate for five days.
“As we continue to live with COVID, no one has to die from it. Tell those you love to get vaccinated,” Stoney tweeted.
Stoney, 40, announced in January 2021 that he had tested positive for the virus. He became mayor in 2017.
In December, Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey said they tested positive for COVID-19, as the country dealt with another surge in cases and the emergence of the omicron variant.
In separate statements, the Democrats said they had been fully vaccinated with two doses and a booster and their symptoms were mild. They also encouraged others to get the trio of shots if eligible.
Warren tweeted: “Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms & am grateful for the protection provided against serious illness that comes from being vaccinated & boosted.”
In a statement from his office, Booker said: “I’m beyond grateful to have received two doses of vaccine and, more recently, a booster — I’m certain that without them I would be doing much worse.”
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