HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii Lt. Gov. Josh Green has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Green told Hawaii News Now on Friday and said he feels fine but will continue to monitor his symptoms.
The deputy governor has been one of the top officials in the state’s effort to suppress the spread of the virus.
A deputy sheriff assigned to protect Green had tested positive for the coronavirus earlier in the week. The deputy last worked on Tuesday, the Public Safety Department said.
Green guesses that he was infected by the deputy, whose wife also tested positive.
The 50-year-old said he will quarantine in a Honolulu condominium separate from his family. Green’s 14 staffers are self-isolating and seeking testing.
“Just please everybody be thoughtful about who you’re around and how quickly you can spread disease,” Green said. “I’m 50 years old and pretty strong and healthy, but it’s a worry. The mortality rate is 1%.”
Five Honolulu radio station employees and Kohala Hospital personnel who have been in contact with Green will be quarantined and tested. Kohala Hospital said Green, an emergency room doctor, was working at the facility from Sept. 5 to 7. The radio station staffers were in contact with Green on Friday.
Green said he has had no close contact with the governor or any other state official and did not believe they would need to be tested.
Hawaii reported on Friday 167 new confirmed cases and two more deaths as a result of the coronavirus, according to its state Department of Health. There have been a total of 10,459 confirmed cases and 96 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in the state, the department said Friday.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some - especially older adults and people with existing health problems - it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.