Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland announced on Monday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, despite being fully vaccinated and having received a booster shot.
“This morning, as part of my regular testing routine, I received a positive rapid test for Covid-19,” Mr. Hogan, a Republican, wrote on Twitter. “I have been vaccinated and boosted, and I am feeling fine at the moment.”
Maryland is facing a surge of cases — with the seven-day average of hospitalizations rising to 1,474 as of Sunday, according to a New York Times database. That number is up 52 percent over the past two weeks, and led the governor to expand hospital capacity and limit elective surgeries. But Mr. Hogan reinforced late last week and on Sunday that he will not enforce any new lockdowns or mandates.
Appearing in studio with Bret Baier on the program “Fox News Sunday,” the governor said that the state is “trying to do everything we can” to get the remainder of the state vaccinated — save for more mandates. “We are not anticipating any lockdowns at all,” he said. “We are not considering them.”
But the state’s increase was troubling, Mr. Hogan said. And in light of his positive test, Mr. Hogan again encouraged residents to get vaccinated or schedule a booster dose as the Omicron variant gains dominance in the state.
A spokesperson for Fox News said the network is “following all Covid-19 protocols and procedures,” and said that Bret Baier will be anchoring his show from a remote studio following the exposure.
Mr. Hogan’s announcement follows a number of government officials, also fully vaccinated and boosted, who report that they have tested positive for the coronavirus. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey announced breakthrough infections via Twitter on Sunday, as did Representative Jason Crow of Colorado.
“Thankfully, I am only experiencing mild symptoms & am grateful for the protection provided against serious illness that comes from being vaccinated & boosted,” Ms. Warren wrote on Twitter.
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