Ohio governor Mike DeWine tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit to his state, leading to an outpouring of well wishes online. Later in the day, his office announced a second test was negative.
In a statement, DeWine’s office said, “Today, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine took a test for COVID-19 as part of the standard protocol to greet President Donald Trump on the tarmac at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland. Governor DeWine tested positive. Governor DeWine has no symptoms at the present time.”
The Republican governor, who is 73 years old, was scheduled return to Columbus and be tested again with the state’s first lady, who also displayed no symptoms. At the time of the positive test, his office said he would follow the protocol for positive tests and quarantine in his home for 14 days.
In a follow-up statement later Thursday, his office said, “In a second COVID-19 test administered today in Columbus, Governor Mike DeWine has tested negative for COVID-19. First Lady Fran DeWine and staff members have also all tested negative.” His team added they felt “confident” in the results.
The governor and first lady will have another test Saturday “out of an abundance of caution.”
Democratic Ohio congressman Tim Ryan and House candidate Kate Schroder were among the politicians to wish the governor well on social media after news broke of his positive test. So, too, did Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer.
On Tuesday, DeWine announced a new mandate that all Ohio school students from kindergarten to grade 12 will be required to wear masks when classes resume.
“Without a vaccine, we are limited in the ways that we can protect the people of Ohio,” he said in a statement at the time. “For schools to have a fighting chance to stay open this fall, widespread face coverings for K-12 students will increase the odds that kids will go to school and stay in school.”
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