Gov. J.B. Pritzker appears during a press conference on Friday, June 24, 2022. (WTTW News)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Tuesday morning.
The governor is experiencing “mild symptoms” and has been prescribed Paxlovid, an antiviral medication used to treat the disease.
“He will follow CDC guidelines by working from home,” Pritzker’s office said in a statement. “He looks forward to returning to in person work as soon as possible.”
Pritzker, who is fully vaccinated and double boosted, tested positive during his routine testing regime. His office said he was notified that he’d had multiple close contacts in recent days with others who had also tested positive.
Pritzker recently spoke at the Florida Democratic Party’s Leadership Blue convention in Tampa. U.S. Rep. Val Demings, who also attended, announced Monday that she tested positive for COVID-19.
Illinois currently has a seven-day average of more than 4,600 COVID-19 cases, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
U.S. officials in recent days have called for renewed caution about COVID-19, emphasizing the importance of getting booster shots for those who are eligible and wearing masks indoors as two new highly transmissible variants are spreading rapidly across the country.
The new variants, labeled BA.4 and BA.5, are offshoots of the omicron strain that has been responsible for nearly all of the virus spread in the U.S. and are even more contagious than their predecessors.
Pritzker’s office is similarly urging all residents statewide to “continue following CDC guidance, utilize anti-viral treatments, and get all available boosters.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Matt Masterson: @ByMattMasterson | [email protected] | (773) 509-5431
