CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has tested negative for the coronavirus after spending five days in isolation, he announced on Twitter.
“I am feeling better and have tested negative for COVID-19,” the Democratic governor said in a Sunday afternoon post. “Looking forward to getting back to work in person this week.”
The governor’s office last Tuesday announced he had tested positive for the virus and was experiencing mild symptoms. Pritzker had already been in quarantine after coming into close contact with others who tested positive during a week of travel that included a visit to the White House, a meeting of the National Governors Association in Maine, and a fundraiser in Tampa for the Florida Democratic Party.
Pritzker, who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in March 2021 and two recommended booster doses, was prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid and began working from home after the positive test.
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say fully vaccinated people can end isolation after five days if they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the help of fever-reducing medication and if symptoms are improving.
Until the 10th day, fully vaccinated people coming out of isolation should wear well-fitting masks around others indoors, both at home and in public, and avoid travel, the CDC guidelines state.
Pritzker, who has had to quarantine multiple times over the last two years but had never previously tested positive for the virus, made his response to COVID-19 a cornerstone of his campaign when he announced his reelection bid during a lull in the pandemic last summer.
His November rival, Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey of downstate Xenia, made his name challenging Pritzker’s executive orders on masking and school and business shutdowns aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. Bailey has repeatedly refused to say whether he’s vaccinated or if he’s contracted COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.
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