Four staffers in Maryland governor’s office test positive for COVID-19: report

Four staffers in Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) office have reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a convention days earlier.

“While we cannot disclose any personal health information, COVID-19 positive cases have affected multiple members of the governor’s staff,” Kata Hall, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said in a statement. 

The Daily Record, which first reported the positive tests, says multiple people familiar with the matter told them four staffers, three of them senior aides, tested positive.

The governor and lieutenant governor both received COVID-19 tests that came back negative, Hall said.

All members of Hogan’s staff are fully vaccinated. The ones who tested positive are currently in quarantine. 

The positive test among staffers comes days after the governor and some aides attended the Maryland Association of Counties convention, according to The Daily Record.

The group sent out an email about the positive test among the governor’s staffers.

“It has come to our attention that several individuals who attended MACo’s Summer Conference between the dates of August 18-21, 2021 have since tested positive for COVID-19,” it reportedly said.

“Vaccination, masking, and social distancing are the most effective defenses against contracting the virus. We are thankful that the majority of conference participants followed this guidance from public health organizations, at MACo’s urging. We are hopeful that following these safety precautions helped protect our larger list of participants,” the group added.

Hogan announced on Sunday he had received a COVID-19 booster shot, as he is immunocompromised after surviving cancer.