The office of Montana Gov. Gre Gianforte announced on Monday that the governor is isolating for 10 days after testing positive for the coronavirus.
According to a report by ABC FOX Montana, the Republican governor first began to show symptoms of the deadly virus on Sunday. He was then tested “out of an abundance of caution” on Monday for the virus.
Montana Gov. Gianforte has been confirmed to have received his first vaccine dose late last week. It takes two weeks after the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or two weeks after a second vaccine dose by other brands for a person to be fully vaccinated according to CDC guidelines.
Gov. Greg Gianforte receives a shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from pharmacist Drew Garton at a Walgreen’s pharmacy, Thursday, April 1, 2021, in Helena, Montana. (Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP)
Republican governor Gianforte was sworn into office in January and has been tested regularly for the virus. The team that has been close to him has been notified of the positive result. The governor’s office also said in the announcement that Gianforte’s spouse has not shown any coronavirus symptoms and is awaiting more test results.
As Montana and other northern plains states were hit hard by the coronavirus late last year, former Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock put in place a statewide mask mandate. Gianforte rescinded it in February after signing a law protecting businesses from coronavirus-related liability.
Most people who contract the coronavirus experience only mild to moderate symptoms, if any symptoms at all, and fully recover. But nevertheless, the pandemic has killed more than 500,000 Americans as it spread widely throughout the United States and the world.
