Gov. Northam, first lady test positive for COVID-19

Residence staff who worked in couple's living quarters tested positive

Published September 25, 2020 by Sydney Lake

Gov. Ralph Northam speaks at his Sept. 15 COVID-19 news conference in Richmond.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and first lady of Virginia Pamela Northam have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement Friday from the Governor’s Office.

On Wednesday evening, the Northams were notified that a member of the governor’s official residence staff, who works closely within the couple’s living quarters, had developed symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19. Both the governor and first lady took PCR nasal swab tests yesterday afternoon and tested positive.

Gov. Northam is not experiencing symptoms, but the first lady has mild symptoms. They will both isolate for the next 10 days and evaluate their symptoms, consistent with guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).

“As I’ve been reminding Virginians throughout this crisis, COVID-19 is very real and very contagious,” Gov. Northam said in a statement. “The safety and health of our staff and close contacts is of utmost importance to Pam and me, and we are working closely with the Department of Health to ensure that everyone is well taken care of. We are grateful for your thoughts and support, but the best thing you can do for us — and most importantly, for your fellow Virginians — is to take this seriously.”

The Northams are working with the VDH and the Richmond Health Department to trace their close contacts. The Executive Mansion and Patrick Henry office building are closed for deep cleaning this morning and work for the governor’s office will continue remotely.

Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax issued a statement Friday morning wishing the Northams a quick recovery and saying, “I will continue to work closely with the governor and administration officials to ensure Virginia’s sustained strong leadership at a critical time for our commonwealth and country.”