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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson tested positive for COVID-19 late Thursday, his office confirmed.
Wilson "began experiencing mild cold-like symptoms last night and tested positive. He's resting at home and doing well," a spokeswoman for Wilson's office told KSL.com Friday.
When asked whether he had been exposed to it by Gov. Spencer Cox — who announced he tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday morning — the spokeswoman said it's unknown when or where Wilson got exposed.
Cox on Thursday said he was notifying people he was in close contact with, as he had various public appearances on Tuesday and Wednesday. But his office said "very few people" at those events would be considered exposed to the virus, as they would have needed to be within 6 feet of him for 15 minutes or longer, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
Wilson's office said it's his first time testing positive for the disease during the pandemic.
The two cases in Utah leaders come as the state continues to experience a rise in COVID-19. The Utah Department of Health on Thursday announced 3,385 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in the past seven days — an average of 484 cases each day. One additional death was also reported. The count does not include Utahns using home tests.
Hospitalizations, however, remain low as just 77 patients in Utah hospitals had COVID-19 as of Thursday.
After Cox announced he tested positive, Utah Department of Health officials said it's "a good reminder that the disease is still circulating in our communities."
"Most people who are infected with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, especially if they are up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. The vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective, and provide protection against serious disease," state health officials said.
