Alaskan Governor Mike Dunleavy (R) tested positive for COVID-19, announced his office on Wednesday.
Dunleavy Office said in a statement that he originally tested negative on Sunday after being identified as a close contact with someone who had tested positive that morning. He started quarantining to reduce potential exposure to other people.
The governor was feeling well until Tuesday night and was tested again on Wednesday morning. That test was positive, the statement said.
Dunleavy’s office said there are currently no known close contacts with the governor because he was quarantined during his infectious period. Anne Zinke, chief physician of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, and the doctor in charge of the governor are monitoring him.
Dulvaney’s office had issued a statement on Monday, indicating that close contact occurred on Saturday. He began to isolate on Sunday when he was informed of the contact, according to the statement.
At least four Dunleavy team members tested positive for COVID-19 in October, according to The Anchorage Daily News.
Jeff Turney, deputy director of communications for Dunleavy’s office, told The Hill that the governor has not yet been vaccinated and plans to be vaccinated when he is eligible for the state’s vaccination plan.
Alaska reported 175 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, bringing the cumulative total to 55,736. The state has recorded 287 deaths since the pandemic began.