Two of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s children test positive for COVID days after he survived recall effort
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement confirming that two of his children have tested positive for Covid-19.
Spokesperson Erin Mellon said that the governor, his wife and their two other children tested negative. An update on their conditions has not been shared.
The couple have four kids - Montana, 12; Hunter, 10; Brooklyn, 8; and Dutch, 5. It was not confirmed which two came down with the virus or if Montana is vaccinated.
All children aged 12 and up can currently receive Pfizer's two-shot vaccine in the United States.
As per California law, no child under 12 can get vaccinated but Mellon said in the statement that 'the family is following all Covid protocols,' as reported by Fox 2.
Two of California Gov Gavin Newsom's children have tested positive for Covid It's unclear if their daughter Montana, 12, is vaccinated. Hunter, 10; Brooklyn, 8; and Dutch, 5, are not as children under 12 haven't been approved for the vaccine
Spokesperson Erin Mellon said that the governor, his wife and their two other children tested negative
'The Newsoms continue to support masking for unvaccinated individuals indoors to stop the spread and advocate for vaccinations as the most effective way to end this pandemic,' she added.
The news comes after the governor survived Tuesday's recall election and said his success proved that Democrats need to 'lean in' to coronavirus safety restrictions.
'What I'm saying here is, be affirmative,' Newsom told CBS when asked what he would tell national Democrats.
'Don't be timid. Lean in. Because at the end of the day, it's not just about formal authority of setting the tone and tenor on masks — on vaccines and masks. But it's the moral authority that we have: that we're on the right side of history and we're doing the right thing to save people's lives.'
He added that Democratic leaders need to 'stiffen our spines and lean in to keeping people safe and healthy'.
The liberal governor admitted that the recall effort against him was 'in no small degree because of our approach to this pandemic'.
California was hit hard by the COVID pandemic and thus had some of the strictest prevention policies in the country. Many schools were shut down for over a year and back-and-forth lockdown measures left businesses frustrated.
Images of Newsom dining a the luxe French Laundry restaurant with a large group of people while indoor dining was closed catalyzed the recall effort.
He looked ripe for ousting at certain points ahead of the recall election but ultimately held onto his seat with nearly two-thirds of Californians voting against recalling him.
Conservative radio host Larry Elder had emerged as a frontrunner among Republican challengers. He promised to repeal Newsom's COVID protocols, including his mandate for state workers to get vaccinated or face weekly testing.
Biden too said that Newsom's success was a win for strong COVID measures.
'This vote is a resounding win for the approach that he and I share to beating the pandemic: strong vaccine requirements, strong steps to reopen schools safely and strong plans to distribute real medicines - not fake treatments - to help those who get sick,' the President said in a statement.
Vaccine mandates are popular in California with 61 per cent of adults in the state in favor of some kind of mandate, according to a survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California conducted late last month.
Biden also signed an executive order requiring all businesses with over 100 employees to mandate vaccination or weekly testing. Another order requires federal workers to get vaccinated with no option for testing.
Exit polls showed that about a third of voters - 31 per cent - rated coronavirus as their top issue. Of those who said that, about 80 per cent voted in favor of Newsom staying in the job.
Nationally, however, a pro-vaccine mandate stance could be more problematic.
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