Newsom Back In COVID Quarantine After Staffer Tests Positive For Virus
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- Gov. Gavin Newsom tested negative for COVID-19 Sunday but went into a 10-day quarantine after a staffer whom he had contact with was diagnosed with the virus.
Other state employees who had been identified by contact tracing were also tested and placed in quarantine.
"The individual in question came into contact with the Governor and a few other staff members," the Governor's Office said in a Sunday evening release. "The Governor tested negative today as did the other staff members. In an abundance of caution, the Governor will begin a 10-day quarantine per state guidelines. The Governor and staff will be tested again in the next few days and continue to follow state and CDC guidelines."
"We wish our staff member who tested positive well."
Early on in the pandemic, a number of protocols were put in place that minimized the amount of staff physically present at work, converted most in person meetings to video conference calls, instituted a no-questions asked remote work policy and reduced seating capacity in meeting rooms for in-person meetings that can't be done remotely.
Newsom and his family have been in quarantine before.
In November, Newsom confirmed that three of his children were recently exposed to COVID-19 from a CHP officer who had tested positive for the virus.
Newsom and his family tested negative for the coronavirus, but went into a quarantine as as precaution.
"Thankfully, the entire family tested negative today," a tweet read. "However, consistent with local guidance, we will be quarantining for 14 days."
Newsom also noted that he and his wife "had no direct interaction with the officer and wish them a speedy recovery."
A few days earlier, a spokesperson for Newsom said that one of the governor's children may have been exposed to the coronavirus at school and was in quarantine.
The child began a 14-day quarantine "from the date of exposure" after the family was told a classmate at the private school had tested positive for COVID-19, spokesperson Nathan Click said in an emailed statement.
