NJ governor quarantining after learning he’s been in contact with coronavirus-infected person

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) quickly left an event Wednesday and will quarantine after staff informed him that a person he had contact with over the weekend had tested positive for coronavirus.

Murphy had briefly stepped off the stage in between speakers at Camden County Community College when he learned about the person’s COVID-19 diagnosis.

“I was just informed by my colleagues that I was in close proximity to someone on Saturday who has just tested positive,” Murphy said, adding he had “no idea until just five minutes ago.”

The governor said he last took an unrelated COVID-19 test Monday and tested negative.

Later in the afternoon, Murphy’s communications director, Mahen Gunaratna, announced that the infected individual was a member of the governor’s senior staff.

Both the governor and his wife are canceling their in-person events and voluntarily quarantining through the end of the weekend, according to a statement.

They had both tested negative again on Wednesday and will take an additional COVID-19 test before they resume any in-person engagements.

“From the beginning, the Governor’s Office has taken every precaution to limit the spread of COVID-19. Today’s exceedingly cautious steps are part of that ongoing commitment,” Gunaratna said in a statement.

Murphy noted at the event that he was not experiencing any symptoms.

“I will now unfortunately have to take myself off the field,” Murphy said after attending the event for about 30 minutes.

“I can’t ask President Trump not to come to Bedminster and do a fundraiser and have me sit here,” Murphy said, referring to his fierce criticism of the president for hosting a fundraising event at the Trump National Golf Club hours before testing positive for COVID-19.

The state government was forced to undergo a massive contact-tracing operation after Trump’s announcement, getting in touch with fundraiser attendees and workers, and Murphy later announced that the state opened an investigation into reports that the event “may not have complied” with state coronavirus rules.

Local outlet NJ.com reported that Murphy arrived at the event around noon and spoke in close proximity to some attendees before delivering remarks.

The governor and everyone he spoke with wore masks, but he did remove his temporarily while speaking into the microphone before he was made aware of his exposure.

The event was held outdoors on the college’s quad and was organized to announce millions of dollars in federal funding for workforce development.

On Wednesday, New Jersey reported 1,062 new positive cases of coronavirus and 18 new confirmed deaths, bringing the state’s total to 223,223 COVID-19 infections and 14,456 related deaths.

#COVID19 UPDATE: New Jersey has 1,062 new positive cases, pushing our cumulative total to 223,223

We’re reporting 18 new confirmed COVID-19 deaths for a total of 14,456 lives lost.

Learn more: https://t.co/JW1q8awGh7 pic.twitter.com/Ff759YiSNB

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) October 21, 2020

–Updated at 2:33 p.m.