KWAME RAOUL TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
Disclosure prompts Pritzker, Foxx to vow to get retested after attending event with attorney general, but Preckwinkle, who was at same event, won’t: ‘Their paths never crossed’
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, prompting Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other Democrats to vow to get retested after attending a south suburban event with the attorney general 10 days earlier.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx is planning to get tested for the coronavirus after attending the event.
But Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle has no plans to get retested, even though she also was at the Calumet City event on June 6 that Raoul attended.
“Their paths never crossed,” Preckwinkle’s spokesman said.
Raoul said he began experiencing minor symptoms over the weekend and tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday. Raoul, 55, is the highest-ranking Illinois politician known to have contracted COVID-19.
“I have been self-isolating since the onset of my symptoms, and I will continue to do so in accordance with guidance from my doctor and public health authorities,” Raoul said in a statement. “Additionally, we are in the process of notifying individuals I may have come into contact with so that they can self-isolate and seek telehealth guidance.”
The Illinois attorney general’s office said Raoul has been in the Chicago office over the last couple of weeks, but the “vast majority” of his meetings and events have been conducted on Zoom or Skype.
Raoul, however, attended a South Suburban Day of Action event in Calumet City on
June 6 alongside Pritzker and other elected officials. That event was the second of four hosted by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus to not only speak out about the police killing of George Floyd but also to demand justice and equitable resources for Black communities. Preckwinkle, Foxx and African American legislators were also in attendance.
Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said Foxx is aware of Raoul’s diagnosis and will get tested for COVID-19.
Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kim Lightford, D-Maywood, also said she would get tested after attending the June 6 event.
Nick Shields, a spokesman for Preckwinkle, said the board president will not get tested because she had no contact with Raoul.
“Their paths never crossed. She has no concerns at this time,” Shields said. “They weren’t even able to acknowledge each other.”
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton also was there. According to her spokeswoman, Stratton has been tested and is awaiting her results.
Raoul also attended a PPE giveaway on
Saturday at the Edward G. Irvin Foundation near Jackson Park, his office said.
“The attorney general wore a mask at both events, and we have notified organizers so that individuals who came into contact with the attorney general can seek the advice of their medical provider and self-quarantine,” Raoul spokeswoman Tori Joseph said.
Pritzker’s office on Tuesday said Pritzker and all staffers who attended the event will get retested for COVID-19 in light of Raoul’s diagnosis.
“The governor attended an event with the attorney general on Saturday, June 6. The governor always wears a mask and will be tested again today after attending a march and other public events,” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said, adding that Pritzker called Raoul to wish him a “speedy recovery.”
Pritzker on June 9 defended protesters’ First Amendment right to gather in light of Floyd’s death and the push for police reform throughout the country, telling reporters at a Springfield news conference that the best thing those in attendance could do is wear a mask.
“I will say, at least almost every protest that I saw, virtually everybody was wearing a mask, and I think that’s a testament to the responsibility that the peaceful protesters had and felt to one another,” the governor said.
Pritzker also said that mass gatherings during the pandemic are not “the safest thing for people to do to stay away from COVID-19.” But he said protesters “needed to express themselves.”
“We ought to consider the practicality of tens of thousands of people wanting to express their First Amendment rights coming together,” Pritzker said, adding his administration made the “strong suggestion” that protesters should try to social distance and wear face coverings.
In early May, a member of Pritzker’s senior staff tested positive for COVID-19, and all staffers — including the governor — worked from home for two weeks. Pritzker had tested negative for the coronavirus in May.
Raoul said his symptoms are mild, and he has been in contact with his staff to continue operations of the attorney general’s office. He also urged everyone in the state to follow safety guidelines.
“It’s real!” Raoul posted on his Facebook page. “I am witness. We may have moved to phase three, but nobody is out of reach! Continue to take this seriously. I tested positive today. I am doing fine after a couple of rough nights.”
“IT’S REAL! I AM WITNESS. WE MAY HAVE MOVED TO PHASE THREE, BUT NOBODY IS OUT OF REACH! CONTINUE TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.” KWAME RAOUL, on Facebook