Lieutenant Gov. Brian Benjamin tested positive for Covid-19 Sunday, the state’s second-in-command revealed in a social media post.
The politician said his symptoms were mild and that he had been vaccinated and boosted.
“I tested positive for COVID today. Thankfully, I’m vaxxed, boosted, and in good spirits, since I’m only experiencing mild symptoms,” Benjamin wrote on Twitter on Feb. 20.
The former Harlem state Senator said his wife Cathleen and their two daughters, Caroline and Olivia, tested negative and that he’ll be isolating over the coming days.
“Cat and our girls’ tests came back negative—praise God! I’ll be isolating at home as they monitor for symptoms and get tested again in a few days,” he said.
Benjamin serves as Governor Kathy Hochul’s number two and his most recent public appearance was at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church in the Bronx Saturday morning, according to his public schedule.
He also attended the state’s Democratic Convention in Midtown Thursday along with many other prominent Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, Gov. Hochul, State Attorney General Letitia James, and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, however, there have been no other reports of cases traced to that event.
Another senior official in Hochul’s orbit, Health Commissioner Mary Bassett, tested positive for COVID-19 in December as the Omicron variant surged throughout the state.
Infections have since dropped to far lower rates of 1.54% and 2,574 people hospitalized, according to the state’s latest data as for Saturday.
This story first appeared on amNY.com.
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