Newsom family under quarantine after exposure to infected CHP officer
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom and his family are under quarantine after learning that three of his children were exposed to a California Highway Patrol officer who tested positive for the coronavirus, the governor’s office said late Sunday.
The governor’s office said Newsom and his family learned about the potential exposure Friday evening and were tested for the virus Sunday morning. Their results came back negative and they will continue to get tested regularly, his office said.
No one in the Newsom family has tested positive for coronavirus, said the governor’s communications director, Nathan Click.
The California Highway Patrol provides security for the governor, his wife and four children, who range in age from 4 to 11.
“Thankfully, the entire family tested negative today. However, consistent with local guidance, we will be quarantining for 14 days,” Newsom tweeted late Sunday night.
“We are grateful for all the officers that keep our family safe and for every frontline worker who continues to go to work during this pandemic.”
The news of the exposure comes just days after the governor’s office confirmed one of his children had a separate brush with the virus when the child’s Sacramento private school classmate tested positive. On Friday, the governor’s office said one of Newsom’s children was exposed and quarantining at home after testing negative for the virus two times. The other family members also tested negative last week.
After they learned of the exposure to the infected CHP officer, the family was advised by health professionals to wait until Sunday to get tested again, according to Newsom’s office. The children who were potentially exposed to the virus were not identified for security reasons.
Newsom acknowledged his decision to visit the Michelin-starred restaurant with other families may diminish his moral authority on COVID-19.
The first family’s Sacramento elementary school resumed in-person instruction this month. Three of the children are in elementary school, where full-day classes have been held this month Mondays through Thursdays with early dismissal on Fridays. The youngest child is in pre-kindergarten.
Information published by the school states that all students and personnel are to wear masks and are subject to mandatory coronavirus testing, along with other public health protocols while on campus.
The Sunday night announcement continues a string of headlines about the governor and his personal experiences during the pandemic. Newsom apologized last week for attending what he described as an outdoor dinner at an upscale Napa Valley restaurant Nov. 6 to celebrate his friend and advisor’s 50th birthday. Photos of the dinner surfaced the next day, raising questions about Newsom’s claim that the event was held outdoors.
Sacramento bureau chief John Myers contributed to this report.
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