California Governor Gavin Newsom tests positive for COVID-19

California Governor Gavin Newsom has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Saturday.

Newsom's office said the governor received the positive test Saturday morning and has mild symptoms and will remain in isolation through at least June 2 and until he tests negative. The governor will continue to work remotely during that time.

The governor is vaccinated and got his second booster shot on May 18. He has also received a prescription for Paxlovid, a COVID-19 antiviral drug.  

"This AM, I tested positive for COVID-19 and am currently experiencing mild symptoms. Grateful to be vaccinated & for treatments like Paxlovid," Newsom tweeted Saturday afternoon.

The governor's most recent public appearance was on Friday, when he met with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in San Francisco to sign an international climate agreement. The two appeared together outdoors at the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park.

Newsom's diagnosis comes as another COVID-19 wave rolls through California and the rest of the country. Cases are up more than 60% in the state over the past 14 days, with hospitalizations up more than 50% in that time.

Most California counties — including Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles — are now in the "medium" tier of the Centers for Disease Control's community level measurement. The system tracks the impact of COVID-19 on a community, and is based on a combination of case rates, hospitalization rates and the percentage of hospital beds used by COVID-19 patients.

In the medium tier, the CDC suggests staying up to date on vaccinations (including booster shots if you are eligible), getting tested if you have symptoms, and wearing a mask indoors if you are at risk for severe illness. At the high community level, the CDC recommends all people wear masks indoors in public places.