Montana Governor Greg Gianforte tested positive for the coronavirus and has been isolating for 10 days, his office announced on Tuesday.
Gianforte, a Republican, was tested for the virus on Monday “just in case” after showing the first symptoms on Sunday, according to a statement released by ABC FOX Montana.
Gianforte received his first dose of vaccine at the end of last week. But, according to CDC guidance, it takes two weeks after a second dose of the vaccine – or two weeks after the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine – for a person to be fully vaccinated.
Governor Greg Gianforte receives an injection of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from pharmacist Drew Garton at Walgreen’s pharmacy, Thursday, April 1, 2021, in Helena, Montana. (Thom Bridge / Independent Record via AP)
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Montana’s first lady showed no symptoms of coronavirus and is awaiting test results, the governor’s office said in the announcement, and contacts close to the governor were notified of the positive test. Gianforte was sworn in in January and has been testing for the virus regularly since then.
While Montana and other northern plains states were hit hard by the coronavirus late last year, former Democratic governor Steve Bullock instituted a masking mandate across the state. Gianforte terminated it in February, after signing a law protecting companies from liabilities related to the coronavirus.
Most people who get the coronavirus have only mild to moderate symptoms, if any at all, and recover completely. Still, the pandemic killed more than 500,000 Americans as it spread widely across the United States and the world.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.