Photo: Getty Images
Texas Governor Greg Abbott tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday (August 17). He was fully vaccinated and is not experiencing any symptoms, his office said in a statement. Breakthrough infections, in which vaccinated individual contracts COVID-19, are extremely rare. When they do happen, their symptoms are usually mild or non-existent.
Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott tested negative, and everybody who was in close contact with Abbott has been notified.
Abbott is isolating in the Governor's Mansion and will receive Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment.
"Governor Abbott is in constant communication with his staff, agency heads, and government officials to ensure that state government continues to operate smoothly and efficiently," the statement said.
Abbott has been a fierce critic of mask mandates and has banned county and city officials from enacting mask mandates. He is currently embroiled in a legal battle with local officials over the ban. The State Supreme Court handed Abbott a victory over the weekend when it granted an emergency stay of an appellate court ruling that allowed a mask mandate in schools to take effect.