This is a developing story and will be updated soon.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19, the governor’s office announced.
He is at home and showing mild symptoms, said Alaska chief medical officer Dr. Anne Zink in a news conference.
Dunleavy has been in quarantine during the infectious period and there are no known close contacts at this time, she said.
“Unfortunately, he is symptomatic, but he is doing well,” Zink said.
Zink and Dunleavy’s attending physician are monitoring him and will provide the public with updates as needed.
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, House Speaker Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, asked Alaskans to join her in praying for the governor’s recovery.
“We are nearing a new chapter where vaccines will allow us to get back to normal, but this diagnosis is a tragic reminder that the pandemic is not yet over,” Stutes said.
[Governor quarantines following close contact]
Dunleavy went into quarantine on Monday following close contact on Saturday, Feb. 20, with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19. The governor’s office declined to provide further details on the close contact. A rapid test result Monday came back negative for the governor.
In an email, Dunleavy spokesperson Jeff Turner said the governor had not yet received a COVID-19 vaccination in order to prioritize more vulnerable populations, and Dunleavy will be vaccinated when he is eligible under the state’s vaccination plan.
• Contact reporter Peter Segall at psegall@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @SegallJnuEmpire.
