Sonora governor tests positive for COVID-19
TUCSON – Claudia Pavlovich, the governor for the Mexican state of Sonora, Arizona’s neighbor to the south, announced Monday that she tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Pavlovich announced her positive diagnosis on social media, saying that she’d be isolating but would continue working through her illness.
“Fortunately, my health status is stable and with mild symptoms,” she said on Twitter. “As the health protocols establish, I am currently sheltered at home and from here I continue working.”
She concluded her brief message saying she would provide updates on her condition.
Eduardo Alvarez, the spokesperson for the Governor’s Office, told The Arizona Republic that Pavlovich had been following all recommended guidelines while on the job, including the use of face masks and social distancing.
“Over the weekend, someone in her family tested positive for COVID-19 and as a result she decided to take the test as part of the protocols,” he said.
All government staff that was in contact with Pavlovich in the past few days, including her office staff, will self-isolate, Alvarez added.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who has forged a close relationship to Pavlovich over the past five years since her election, sent a tweet in Spanish wishing her a quick recovery.
“Governor, Arizona is praying for your quick recovery. We’re sending our best wishes!” Ducey said.
Like Arizona, the state of Sonora has also been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state has reported 37,832 confirmed cases, and 3,148 deaths as of Sunday. The majority of cases and deaths are concentrated in the capital city of Hermosillo.
However, doctors and health officials on the ground have acknowledged the number of confirmed cases is probably much higher.
The pandemic put significant strains on public health resources in the state and at one point, early on in the pandemic, hospitals statewide filled to capacity and sick patients were turned away.
Sonora, like much of Mexico, has had limited access to testing. The health ministry reported they’ve conducted more than 65,500 tests for the state’s 2.8 million residents. Nearly 60% of the tests have been positive.