This story has been updated to include a statement from the governor’s office saying that First Lady Marty Kemp is no longer in self-quarantine.
Gov. Brian Kemp is in good spirits amid quarantine for possible exposure to the coronavirus, a spokesman said Monday.
Kemp spokesman Cody Hall said the governor and First Lady Marty Kemp have not been re-tested for COVID-19 since Friday, the day it was announced the two would enter self-quarantine. At the time, both tested negative, but an infection can develop a week or more after exposure.
Kemp and the First Lady isolated themselves the same day U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson disclosed he tested positive for the coronavirus. The two Republican politicians attended a crowded indoor political event together on Thursday and were together at a large outdoor rally Oct. 27.
The First Lady initially isolated as a precaution, the governor’s office said, but is no longer in quarantine because she is not considered to have been exposed to a person with a confirmed case.
The state Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both recommend 14-day quarantines for those who have come into close contact with people infected with the coronavirus.
The CDC says people who have been within six feet of someone with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more should stay home for two weeks after their last known contact with an infected person.
Those exposed also should watch for fever, cough and other symptoms and stay away from others at high risk.
Over the weekend, the CDC and DPH announced that people under quarantine for COVID-19 or potential exposure could still vote in person if they take steps to protect elections workers and other voters, such as wearing face coverings and maintaining social distance from others.
“Gov. Kemp would be able to vote in person while wearing a mask, and maintaining at least 6 feet between election workers and other voters, and washing or sanitizing his hands before and after voting,” said CDC spokesman Jason McDonald. “We also recommend that Gov. Kemp let poll workers know that he is in quarantine when he arrives at the polling location.”
Kemp requested an absentee ballot on Friday, but it was not clear if one would arrive in time for him to vote.
In an email on Monday, Hall said the governor “has a number of calls lined up today, spirits are high, and hopes to vote by absentee before 7 p.m. tomorrow evening.”
Staff writer Mark Niesse contributed to this report.
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