SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Former Utah Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has tested negative for COVID-19, several days after his campaign revealed one of its staffers had the coronavirus.
Huntsman is one of four Republican gubernatorial candidates on the June primary ballot.
Campaign manager Lisa Roskelley said Monday that two more staff members tested positive for COVID-19 while five tested negative, including Huntsman and herself, the Deseret News reported.
The campaign has not identified the staffers or their positions.
Huntsman went into quarantine last week and canceled all his public appearances after learning his campaign staff was at risk for the coronavirus, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
“The health of each member of our team and the public is our primary concern,” Huntsman said Friday. “We will follow the instructions of health experts and not put politics and campaign concerns ahead of health and safety.”
His campaign headquarters closed for cleaning last week and is now reopened but Huntsman continues to work from home while his family awaits their test results, officials said.
His running mate, Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi, has not had recent contact with the affected staffers and has been cleared to continue campaigning in person, Roskelley said.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.
