Texas Gov. Greg Abbott checks good for COVID-19, in ‘good health’

By PAUL J. WEBER

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott examined optimistic for COVID-19 on Tuesday, according to his workplace, who mentioned the Republican is in very good wellness and going through no signs or symptoms.

Abbott, who was vaccinated in December and has refused calls to reinstate mask mandates as the really contagious delta variant surges in Texas, was isolating in the governor’s mansion in Austin and getting monoclonal antibody cure, spokesman Mark Miner explained in a assertion. He is at minimum the 11th governor to examination favourable for the virus due to the fact the pandemic commenced, in accordance to a tally by The Linked Press.

“Governor Abbott is absolutely vaccinated versus COVID-19, in excellent overall health, and at the moment experiencing no symptoms. Every person that the Governor has been in shut get in touch with with today has been notified,” Miner mentioned.

In a video clip posted on social media, Abbott reported the actuality that he had been fully vaccinated “may be just one cause I’m seriously not feeling any symptoms suitable now. I have no fever, no aches and pains, no other varieties of signs.”

The constructive exam comes a working day immediately after Abbott, who has rarely been noticed sporting a mask in general public a short while ago, did not use just one when talking indoors close to Dallas to a crowded home of GOP supporters, most of whom were being older and unmasked. Online video posted by his marketing campaign displays the 63-year-outdated governor — who is up for reelection in 2022 and has drawn two GOP challengers who have attacked the virus limits he set in position final year — mingling with attendees as they gathered around him using pics.

“Another standing home only function in Collin County tonight,” Abbott tweeted.

The celebration was held by a team termed the Republican Club at Heritage Ranch. Attained by telephone Tuesday following Abbott introduced he had analyzed beneficial, Jack DeSimone, president of the club, explained he did not like “to have discussions like this” and declined to comment further on Abbott’s look.

Abbott experienced also posted a photograph of himself with the guitarist Jimmie Vaughan before Tuesday before news of his good take a look at. Vaughan and his household have tested destructive, in accordance to a assertion from the musician.

Abbott has rebuffed calls to reimpose pandemic limitations, together with mask mandates, as cases in Texas are all over again soaring, hospitals are stretched thin, and a rising variety of university districts defy his orders that prohibit encounter-covering needs in school rooms. Abbott and Republican Attorney Typical Ken Paxton are now in court docket combating what amounts to quite a few of Texas’ greatest faculty districts, which commenced lessons this 7 days.

Much more than 12,200 sufferers in Texas were being hospitalized with the virus as of Tuesday, the optimum stages considering the fact that January, and point out wellbeing officials mentioned this week they had requested 5 morgue trailers from the federal federal government as a precaution. But as scenarios have sharply climbed, Abbott has stuck to a concept that the path ahead “relies on individual duty.”

By Tuesday, at least four Texas faculty districts had currently quickly closed due to the fact of virus outbreaks just days into college students returning to course. And in a indication of tensions as colleges defy Abbott’s orders, the superintendent of the Eanes college district in the vicinity of Austin explained one particular mother or father “physically assaulted” 1 instructor by ripping a mask off her facial area.

Democrat Rafael Anchia, a condition agent from Dallas, said he wished the governor a speedy recovery and was “praying this indication will cause him to rescind the order stopping educational institutions from necessitating masks.”

Miner said the governor’s handle to the team was his only community function this 7 days. He explained Abbott analyzed detrimental Monday and that no a single else on staff members has examined positive.

Abbott’s spouse, Cecilia Abbott, analyzed negative. The governor experienced been receiving analyzed day-to-day and Miner said “everyone that the Governor has been in close call with now has been notified.”

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AP author Acacia Coronado also contributed to this report.