Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is quarantined at home after he came in contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
Kenney made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon after joining the city's regular coronavirus news conference remotely from his home.
The mayor said he was tested for the virus on Monday and that his results came back negative. He will avoid going to City Hall this week, he said.
“Still, because of that contact, I will continue to self-quarantine and will be tested again next week,” Kenney said.
“I mention this not to focus on myself, but to remind everyone that the risks of Covid-19 are still very much with us. I’m thankful that Philadelphia’s positive case numbers have dropped and that we’ve been able to ease many of the restrictions imposed earlier this year. But the virus is still here and we must remain vigilant. So if you find yourself in a similar situation, exposed to someone who tests positive, do the right thing and self-quarantine, and get yourself tested. Because this pandemic is, unfortunately, far from over.”
CDC guidelines recommend anyone exposed to the virus quarantine for 14 days as some people may be asymptomatic, but still spreading the virus. Kenney and city public health leaders have strongly encouraged citizens heed that advice over the course of the pandemic, which has labored on for more than six months.
Philadelphia, being one of the nation's largest cities, was hit hard in the first wave of the viral spread. There are more than 35,825 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Philadelphia and at least 1,785 people have died from the virus, according to an NBC10 tally of cases.
Nationwide, more than 200,000 Americans have succumbed to the virus so far.
Kenney also recently drew criticism for eating indoors at a Maryland restaurant. At the time, Philadelphia still did not allow indoor dining because of a higher number of case counts. The mayor later apologized, but said he was following that local jurisdiction's guidelines.
The mayor said his exposure came sometime last week and that his doctor recommended getting a test for the virus.
Kenney said he'll still be able to do his job as mayor while working from home for 14 days.
“In this day and age of communication, it’s pretty easy to do..Anything that I need to sign or anything, gets pushed under the door, and we’ll take all precautions and get through this, and move on.”
