Gov. Tom Wolf tests positive for covid

Gov. Tom Wolf said Wednesday his covid-19 diagnosis is a reminder that no one is immune from the virus that has infected more than 445,000 people in Pennsylvania.

Wolf, 72, said he tested positive for the virus during a routine test and he has no symptoms. His wife, Frances, is awaiting her test result. Both are quarantining at home.

“I am continuing to serve the commonwealth and performing all of my duties remotely, as many are doing during the pandemic,” he said.

Lyndsay Kensinger, a spokeswoman for Wolf, confirmed that multiple members of the governor’s security detail have recently tested positive for the virus. She said Wolf has spent the past several months working mostly from home or from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency in Harrisburg.

While he has taken precautions such as wearing a mask, Wolf said such steps are not a guarantee and urged people to stay vigilant.

“I ask all Pennsylvanians to wear a mask, stay home as much as possible, socially distance yourself from those not in your household, and, most of all, take care of each other and stay safe,” he said.

Wishing my Governor a full and speedy recovery.

We all stand with you. ? https://t.co/1ueHg9Ogbd

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) December 9, 2020

Kensinger said everyone meeting the definition of a close contact has been informed of Wolf’s positive test, and they are following quarantine guidelines. She said the close contacts include Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine and several members of the governor’s senior staff who have also been working at PEMA.

All, she said, have tested negative.

Pittsburgh-based infectious disease expert Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said Wolf is not the first politician to contract the virus and won’t be the last.

“Clearly, politicians have a heightened risk of contracting this virus given the number of interactions with people they have on a daily basis,” Adalja said. “It is very hard to be completely meticulous with your behaviors and not let your guard down from time to time, and because the virus is so prevalent, it may be all it takes to get infected.”

Indeed, Wolf is not the first high-ranking politician to contract covid-19.

In March, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, tested positive for covid.

After developing flu-like symptoms, Kelly called his primary care doctor to order a test for covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. He said he took the test at a drive-thru testing facility at Butler Memorial Hospital.

President Donald Trump was hospitalized for covid-19 in October. Other world leaders have been infected with the virus, including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald tweeted that he wishes Wolf a speedy recovery.

“His leadership has brought a steady hand to the state during very turbulent times,” Fitzgerald wrote. “We hope that he continues to feel well and is able to return quickly to his normal activities.”

Covid-19 cases across Pennsylvania have skyrocketed over the past several months, jumping by more than 210,000 in the last 30 days, now topping 445,000. The state added 8,700 cases on Wednesday and reported 220 deaths.

Since the pandemic began, 11,762 people have died from the virus. More than 2,700 people have died from the virus in the past month.

News Editor Ben Schmitt contributed to this report