Yang tests positive for coronavirus

New York Democratic mayoral candidate Andrew Yang announced on Tuesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19. 

“After testing negative as recently as this weekend, today I took a COVID rapid test and received a positive result,” Yang said in a statement. “I am experiencing mild symptoms, but am otherwise feeling well and in good spirits. I will quarantine in accordance with public health guidelines and follow the advice of my doctor.”

Yang, a former Democratic presidential hopeful and tech entrepreneur, said that despite his positive test, he “will continue to attend as many virtual events as possible, in addition to working with our incredible campaign team to continue our mission of getting New York City back on its feet.”

Yang said that his campaign team has begun the contact-tracing process in an effort to notify anyone who may have come in close contact with him in recent days.

Yang, who gained a national profile during his long-shot bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, announced his bid for mayor in January after months of speculation about a potential campaign.

There has been little polling in the race, but what few surveys there have been show Yang with an early lead over a crowded field of Democratic contenders. The mayoral primary is currently slated for late June.

The New York City area has been among the areas hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, emerging as the first major hot spot for the outbreak in the U.S. last year. And while cases and hospitalizations in the city are trending downward, they have still risen since late last year.

Despite the pandemic, Yang has made an effort to hold in-person, outdoor events, believing that the virtual events that have become common in campaigns over the past year do not carry the same weight.

Yang was forced to quarantine last month after one of his staffers tested positive for COVID-19, a development that took him off the campaign trail less than a week after he announced his candidacy.

In announcing his positive COVID-19 test on Tuesday, Yang signaled that he would return to the campaign trail once he clears the virus.

“When the time is right, I look forward to once again hitting the campaign trail and advancing a positive vision for our city’s future,” he added.

Updated at 11:46 a.m.