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Governor's Office Staffer Tests Positive for COVID-19

Paul Braun
/
WRKF
Gov. John Bel Edwards pauses for a moment during a press conference marking the end of the legislative session. June 30, 2020.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Thursday that a member of his staff has tested positive for COVID-19.  

The individual has not been publicly identified, but Edwards said in a news release that he or she has been present at internal meetings and a media briefing. Twelve other staff members determined to have had "close contact" with the infected individual have been advised to "self-quarantine." Close contact is defined as being within six feet of an infected individual for at least fifteen minutes.

Epidemiologists said by that definition, Edwards has not had close contact with the individual in question, according to the release. 

Public health workers will conduct a complete contact tracing Thursday, and other close contacts will be notified of their increased risk. 

"We are monitoring our team and, should it become necessary, will be offering testing to our staff memebers and tracing their contacts to determine who needs to self-quarantine and who could be at risk," Edwards said. 

"Our staff takes precautions, including wearing masks, to protect each other, and we are hopeful that by aggressively self-quarantining, and working remotely, we can reduce the likihood that anyone else will be exposed." 

In March, April Dunn, a staff member of the Governor's Office of Disability Affairs, died of complications from COVID-19. 

Paul Braun was WRKF's Capitol Access reporter, from 2019 through 2023.