Jacksonville City Councilman tests positive for COVID-19

Sam Newby will take the Jacksonville City Council presidency July 1.

Coronavirus continues to impact people throughout the political world: The latest victim is a Jacksonville City Councilman.

Second-term Republican Sam Newby, an at-large member of the 19-person legislative body, was identified by Mayor Lenny Curry Sunday night as testing positive for COVID-19.

Today I learned from Councilman Sam Newby That he was being treated at St. Vincent’s hospital and had been informed of a positive test result for COVID-19. Because Councilman Randy White visited CM Newby at the hospital within the last 48 hours, CM white is self isolating at home

— Lenny Curry (@lennycurry) March 16, 2020

“Today I learned from Councilman Sam Newby That he was being treated at St. Vincent’s hospital and had been informed of a positive test result for COVID-19,” Curry tweeted. “Because Councilman Randy White visited CM Newby at the hospital within the last 48 hours, CM white is self isolating at home,” Curry said.

The mayor went on to note that Newby is improving and White, as of yet, is asymptomatic. However, given the extended incubation period for the disease and White’s advanced age, he is in a high risk cohort were he to have contracted the disease.

Newby is the latest Florida politician to contract coronavirus.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez tested positive for the novel coronavirus after making contact with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro‘spress secretary, Fabio Wajngarten.

Wajngarten also appeared alongside President Donald Trump at a weekend event at Mar-a-Lago.

Suarez relayed the results to the Miami Herald Friday morning.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott also announced he would be self-isolating after coming into contact with Wajngarten.

Northeast Florida is becoming a hotbed for the virus, with six new cases announced Saturday.

Communication between Curry and state officials appears to be more regular, after the Mayor learned on “the news” about Jacksonville’s first COVID-19 caseo.

For reasons unclear, the Department did not coordinate with public officials in Duval County, as Curry lamented.

“I told the public I would share the 1st and any #CoronaVirus positive w them when Florida Dept of Health shared it with me & my team. They did not. I am disappointed to have learned about the 1st test via the news. Transparency & communication is the way forward for our citizens,” Curry asserted.

“We must share what we know with the public @HealthyFla. None of our city emergency professionals were advised of this positive,” Curry added.

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Florida Politics’ Ryan Nicol contributed to this post.