New York City mayor Eric Adams tested positive for the coronavirus on Saturday, making him just the latest high-profile politician to become infected with the virus.
Adams' office released a statement Saturday morning revealing the mayor's symptoms and positive COVID test.
"This morning, Mayor Adams woke up with a raspy voice and, out of an abundance of caution, took a PCR test that has now come back positive," Adams' office said in the statement.
"At this time, the mayor has no other symptoms, but he is already isolating and will be canceling all public events for the remainder of the week," the statement continued. "He is also going to immediately begin taking the anti-viral medications offered for free to New York City residents and encourages all New Yorkers eligible for these medications to take them as well."
The coronavirus antivirals Paxlovid from Pfizer and molnupiravir from Merck and Ridgeback are free to all New York City residents with a prescription.
This, as COVID cases in New York City have started to increase again amid the BA.2 variant that also resulted in a rise in infections in Europe and Asia.
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Recent data from the New York City government shows the seven-day average for new COVID cases in the city is at more than 1,800 as of last week. In comparison, the city was only enduring about 620 cases at the beginning of March.
Other political leaders have come down with COVID in recent weeks as well.
On Saturday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack revealed he had tested positive for the coronavirus following his attendance at the annual Gridiron Club dinner the week before. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) also tested positive for the virus last week.
And last month, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama all tested positive for COVID.
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