Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said on Monday that she has tested positive for the coronavirus after displaying no symptoms.
Why it matters: Bottoms, one of several Black women on the shortlist to be Joe Biden's running mate, has risen to national prominence in recent months as part of mass protests over racism and police brutality — driven in part by the killing of Rayshard Brooks by Atlanta police.
The big picture: Single-day coronavirus infections in Georgia reached a new high last Wednesday, with nearly 3,000 new cases reported. The state has reported more than 97,000 confirmed cases in total and over 2,800 deaths, per state health department data.
What she's saying: "It leaves me for a loss of words because I think it really speaks to how contagious this virus is, and we've taken all of the precautions that you can possibly take. We wear masks, we are very thoughtful about washing our hands. I have no idea when and where we were exposed," Bottoms told MSNBC on Monday. ...
- "I'm processing this, all of this. I just received my results. My husband literally has been sleeping since Thursday, which is just not like him, so I decided that we should all get tested again."
- "We were tested about two weeks ago, we were all negative. And our results came back positive today, and it's a shock, because what I've seen with him is not out of the ordinary for seasonal allergies which are just about year-round allergies in Atlanta."
- Bottoms said she had been suffering from a mild cough and a headache, which she attributed to allergies.